Soul Mother
by annotation
Summary: Begins as a narration POV by a child raised by a wild human and captive Soul, moving into a wider story.new chapter done at last! Been busy with work
1. Chapter 1

Soul Mother

I think I was six the first time I knew my father was insane.

Its hard to know-after all growing up under the circumstances that I did there was little frame of reference-there was only Him, me and Mother.

It was Mother who brought it out in him that day. My father never beat me, never struck me except in what he still called play…I had bruises and scrapes and cuts from those blows but they held no malice, and not a fraction of the force that he could deliver in earnest.

It was during our 'play' in the sand strewn center of our cave that I saw the monster behind his placid gray eyes. It would gaze out at me momentarily when he threw me down, I didn't know what it was, not until that day.

He laughed, grabbing the front of the flannel shirt he'd brought back for me-he had to stoop to even our heights. I put both of my hands over his, twisting his wrist with all of my puny might. He let me lock his arm and kick his legs out from under him. I raised my foot and stamped it down next to his smiling face.

Back then I didn't wonder why his smiles never touched his eyes.

I forget what it was Mother said, her voice-always so melodious-she would sing the most wonderful songs, something about fetching fire wood.

I never understood why he let her cook…not then.

He grunted at her, throwing his legs up in the air and casually tossing himself to his feet and heading up to the mouth of the cave.

"Clemie!" Mother said, her voice pleasant and warm, "Clemie fetch me the skillet, please."

Mother always said 'Please'-she was a very polite person and took pains to ensure that my manners and hygiene were better then Father taught.

"Yes Mother!" I was still buzzed from the play-father had started teaching me LINE just a bit before that. He taught me other things later but always returned to the Marine Combatives because they were so simple.

KISS, that's what he'd call when he went away, blowing one at me before ducking out the cave, Keep it Simple Stupid.

I knew the Rules, but that day I was lax. She had her back to me, bustling over the stove and I didn't think when she told me to put it on the little table she would use to cut up food on. She really WAS a superb cook and knew how to make toffee when father brought sugar back.

"Thanks Hon…she dropped a few sticks into the stove and asked, "Do you think you could fetch me the Spoon?"  
"Sure Mother!" I trotted over to the far wall of the cave, grabbing the big iron spoon that hung with the other implements where she couldn't get them. I stepped up behind her, crossing the yellow line father had painted on the floor. She turned, smiling at me for a second. Her eyes flashed in the lamplight, at the time I thought it was pretty.

She smiled again, reaching out to pet my cheek she looked like she was going to say something hesitating half a breath she gave a tiny shake of her head and took the spoon to stir at the stew she was making, humming under her breath.

"Mother…" I was breathy from the excitement of disobeying father and being on her side of the line when it was just the two of us.

"Yes Hon." She spared me a glance as she sprinkled Oregano and fresh herbs into the pot.

"Tell me about being a bat."

"Again?" She smiled, stirring one last time and turning to face me with crossed arms.

Her chain clinked a little as she leaned against the wall, "I had huge wings, huge to me of corse…and I could sing the most wonderful, WONDERFUL music…" Her eyes lost focus for a moment, looking sad "And I could fly!" she flapped her hands briefly.

She grinned at my smile, when your six being about to flap your wings and fly sounds like the most wonderful thing in the world.

"Song!" I commanded, stepping forwards eagerly.

"Oh me darling, oh me darling…" She sung ever so low, smiling indulgently, "Oh me darling Clementine…You are lo-" her voice trailed off and she went pale.

Father didn't say a word as I jumped back to my side of the line and he walked…Purposely is the word I think, he didn't hurry or run.

One hand on her shoulder and a jerk had her on the floor as he threw his right foot high as his shoulder into the air. It hung there for a moment, that instant frozen in time, or my memory, then its booted heel crashed down half an inch from her right ear. He looked down at her, his face placid and calm-I doubt his heart rate was over eighty.

"Don't ever touch my daughter when I'm not here." He smiled, and when he smiled I saw something behind his eyes, something looking out at us.

I think she wet herself; she was a very gentle monster after all.

….

I think I was four the first time I remember him chaining me.

Before that age there was no way that Mother could have used me to get loose. He would let her hold me and sing me to sleep, back then she was my whole world when he went away.

When he put the chain round my little ankle he told me that this was all part of being a grown up girl and that he would be back soon.

I cried. I didn't like sitting on the other side of the room. Mother soothed me with songs and told me about when she'd been a bat. I thought all mothers became bats at some point, having just learnt about caterpillars and butterflies. I asked her when I would become one and she went quiet for a long moment.

"When I get to be a Bat will I have to be chained up when Father goes out?"

"No Hon, you'll fly free and sing."

"Whooooo!" This exited me, and I drank up her stories about being a bat. She told me how she had come from a place way way far off in the sky and become a person.

"Was that because you wanted to be my Mother?"

She went quiet for a moment, and when she spoke her voice was oddly flat.

"I thought that it would be fun to be a human." She was quiet for a long time.

I asked her to sing me a song and she sung me Clementine.

Father brought me a pretty necklace that trip, it had a little gold butterfly pendant. Mother refused to acknowledge it when I tried to show it off and it vanished shortly thereafter.

I thought I saw tears in her eyes.

…

I was just before my 13th birthday the first time I saw someone die.

It wasn't like I'd thought it would be-I'd known that Father killed on his patrols. He taught me how, the same as he taught me to read and write and gut a deer. It was just something that I needed to know.

I'd been playing checkers with Mother on the board she and I had made last winter to replace the paper set she'd taught me on. Father had taught me chess, he and Mother played sometimes but I never liked the game when they played each other.

We sat cross-legged on the floor, she and I while father oiled his bow on the bench he'd made years before when mother asked him to.

"Sing me a song!" I asked and she smiled, brushing a long strand of greasy blond hair out of her face, "What song do you want Hon?"

"How about a poem?" My father glanced up and gave an almost smile.

It had been a good day for them-he'd brought her sugar from his last patrol and she'd made hard toffee. It was one of the few things that they had in common, a love of candy.

"Swap you for a beer?" She raised an eyebrow in an expression that I didn't quite understand-they would occasionally be polite to each other and I would be banished to the store room for the night while they "talked about stuff". I knew that this would be one of those nights.

He nodded, reaching up to the nook he'd roughed out behind the bench for one of the three precious glass bottles he'd risked his life to get.

Walking towards he twisted the cap off with his hands, tossing it into the far corner and pausing for a moment before handing it down to her.

"I want the bottle back in one piece." He said slowly, but without venom.

She nodded, taking a slow swallow, "That's Good!"

"Luke Warm and stale." He stepped backwards rather then turn his back.

"Just like you hon." She grimaced at him, sticking her tongue out "Just like you…"

He smiled, almost "I want Kipling."

"'If' or 'Earths last picture'?" Mother said that she had taught poetry a long time ago, or someone she knew had…

"Today's not an 'If' day."

"Thank Goodness for that…" She rolled her eyes, taking another draw on the beer.

"Can I?" I asked, holding out my hand.

"Uhh…" she shrugged, holding it out, "If your fathers going to teach you to murder I guess I can teach you to drink."

"No Clemie." Father shook his head, "Not after her."

"Jesus- its not like I'm contagious!" She snapped, eyes flashing sliver in the fire light, "You KNOW that."

"I know."

"Daaaad!" I whined, "C'mon!"

"She's dangerous Clemie."

"Sure!" I snorted in a fit of, well, I guess a fit of being twelve, "That's why you leave me here for days and days while you go patrol."

"Follow the rules and you'll be fine." The odds on me spending the night in the storeroom were dropping like the mercury in snowstorm.

"Jesus! If I wanted to kill her I'd have done it when she was a baby!"  
"Yeah dad! Your always so damn mean to her AND me!" This had been building for a while-you cant live in a cave with 2 people who seriously want each other dead, alternating with hormonal sex, and grow into a stable teenager.

"You know your causing psychological damage to our offspring!" Mother spoke like that when she drank beer, father called it her University Speak. I think that she worked at a University before father caught her. He looked at her with pure loathing.

"Jesus dad, she IS, like, my MOM!"

"Your too young to drink." He said flatly.

There was a noise outside the cave then, just a twig cracking.

The look on his face was fear, pure and simple animal fear as he raced up to the entrance of the cave.

The first one was dead by the time I caught up with him-it had been a gangerly young man with a few wisps of beard and a bright orange windbreaker. His eyes looked very surprised to me, staring up into the forest canopy. The second one was bigger and stronger then my father and they rolled in the leaves, over and over.

Father ended on the bottom and the other man squeezed his throat. He looked up at me, registering a moment of surprise as Father took firm hold of the meaty hands and jerked his hips. The man rolled forwards and off with a grunt of alarm.

A quick flash of knife and the big man was on his back, holding his throat and making bubbling sounds. My father sneered over him, spitting bloody sputum in his face. He looked around like a watchful animal then motioned me to come closer.

I was frightened, the smell of voided bowels and hot iron blood making me sick.

"Come…" he sounded gentle, reaching out to take my hand and pull down into a crouch beside him.

"You're my daughter, Clemie, and I Love you…you know that right?"  
I nodded, swallowing bile.

"I had a son, Clemie." He swallowed hard and I saw hot tears splashing out of his eyes, turning the body over he swiftly sliced the big mans coat off his body, exposing his back.

"I had a son and they took him…" he slid the tip of the knife under the mans muscle, slicing expertly as he peeled it back.

I'd gutted and quartered deer before but this was making me feel sick, I actually vomited when I saw IT move.

"The worm. THIS is what skin walkers look like Clemie…they put one in my son." He sliced it expertly, smiling thinly as it writhed, slicing again and again.

"School…at his school Clemie."

"Don't be fooled because they look like us Clemie…. NEVER forget. When you look at one your not looking at a person. One of these…your looking at one of these." He spoke evenly now, like he was discussing the weather.

"What will we do…?" I nodded at the corpse, "With…them?"

"There'll be a search…Cover them first…leaves…check the area. They'll have a camp. We clean up."

It was dark when we got back to the cave.

Mother looked at my face, the thin line of dried blood on my right cheek.

"Oh My God Clemie!" She took hold of my face, turning it to the light, "Are you hurt?"

"S'not mine." I said woodenly.

"Clemie…" She trailed off as I looked up into her eyes, trying to see the worm inside her.

"You never told me." I said slowly, the words didn't want to come.  
"What did you…" She looked at my father, "You…You made her…Showed..OH! Oh! Ohh…Clemie, no, I...I never wanted…"

He reached up for a bottle of beer, popping the cap and taking a long slug before walking over and offering it to me.

I took a swallow and nearly choked-I'd never drunk a drink with fizz. He took the bottle back and walked out of the cave, picking up his pack on the way.

"Clemie!" My mother took my head and made me face her, "Clemie…I...I'm…I…"

I rubbed at the stripe Father had drawn on my face with the third Skin walker's blood.

"Who are you really?"

"Your mother." She blinked.

"If you were free what would you do?"

"Clemie…I grew you in this body. Felt you inside me. You're my child and I…I feel love for you. I truly do."

"If you were free…" I stepped forwards as she stepped back, "What would you DO?"

"I'd go back to my people…Clemie…Oh Clemie, Souls…we Souls…we're not...just not LIKE you…your all so hateful and angry!" She brushed tears from her eyes-tears had always angered her more the any other 'chemical' reaction her body sprang on her, "We're gentle…we hate violence, Clemie, we abhor it…we love peace and art and music and poetry. Please…PLEASE Clemie…don't be like him!"

"Would you bring them back here? To us?"

"I…" She began to cry then, knowing that she had lost me. I knew that she did love me, as much as she could anyway, "I can't let you keep killing! Souls are sentient beings, Clemie! Its Murder!"

I exhaled slowly.

"I…come with me Clemie…" she searched my face desperately, ignoring the laughability of my father letting that happen, "Come with me...we can go away. You DON'T NEED to be like him! OH Clemie…we could…could…" She trailed off downcast.

I felt no anger, just a wave of sadness-what COULD we do? Go shopping together like the moms and their daughters in the glossy magazines? Have a home together and eat out? I'd always wanted to watch TV but couldn't imagine the two of us on one of those soft sofas with her.

"I know…" She hic'd a little, composing herself and looking at the the cave floor, "I know what your going to do now. I always…always knew you…its why he didn't kill me as soon as you were weaned."

"The scorpion..."

When I was learning the Rules Father told me a story: a scorpion wanted to cross the river and asked a fox to carry it. When they were half way across the scorpion stung the fox who cried out 'why did you do that? Now we'll both drown' and the scorpion said 'I couldn't help it! Its my nature.'

"Yeah Clemie…the scorpion. He's evil and twisted and WRONG."

I wondered if he had ever told her about his Son and his Real Wife…even if he had she wouldn't understand. What she understood she only understood through the body of a woman she had killed.

My hand rested on the hilt of my camp knife, wondering how much of her was the worm and how much the woman, "Hush now."

She looked at me then, and I saw the thing behind her eyes…the incredibly ALIEN thing pretending to be a person watching me.

It wasn't evil, it wasn't good, it was just...incomprehensible and uncomprehending.

We trotted through the moonlight for three hours before he spoke, "What did you do?"

I was half breathless even though HE was carrying my pack; it gave me an excuse to mull over my words.

"Told her to head north."

"She'll reach the road in two days…maybe three." He didn't question my decision though I sensed he was disappointed.

"Where are we going?"

"Plans…your big now Clementine…big enough…We can strike them down, kill them all."

"They'll kill us." Seeing the madness in his eyes I knew that he didn't care.

"We're already dead, Clemie…one way or another." He shook his head, "Last ones…I never saw anyone else…not in years. But one day we'll pay them back Clemie…we'll pay ''em back , back in spades..." he grinned a happy smile then and I saw the thing behind his eyes laughing.

And I thought about the scorpion.


	2. Chapter 2

Seeker

Ellen laid out the tray perfectly, her long, dexterous fingers putting each item of her evening snack into aligned perfection. The bowl of tomato soup with _exactly_ one ladle full, three square crackers –no more, no less- and the cup of green tea which had cooled to just the right temperature.

Picking up the tray from the kitchen counter she moved into the lounge of her apartment and sat on her sofa.

Reaching for the remote control she glanced at the ticking wall clock and smiled contentedly…she HAD earned the right to moments like this, the Comforter had told her so and Souls never lied (except for Seekers, of course, but Ellen like many of her gentle kind thought that there was just something innately WRONG with Seekers).

She clicked the remote control, starting the Brady Bunch DVD. Just exciting enough.

She dipped her wide spoon into her soup and was bringing it to her lips when the phone rang loudly.

She hissed in frustration, her eyes widening in alarm at herself.

Breathing…a deep breath and slow exhale and she could put the tray on the coffee table, turn off the TV and walk to the phone, smiling broadly before she clicked the _talk_ button.

"Ellen here!"

"This is Ralph."

She didn't know a Ralph and wondered what _possible _reason he could have for disturbing her _on TV night!_ The answer arrived shortly.

"I'm a Seeker."  
"Yes…" She leaned back into the wall and slid to the floor, hand reflexively clutching her chest. They had found them…no, they were both dead. She had seen him showing Clemie how to use that dreadful thing -She could still hear his voice '_just pull the pin Clemie, let the handle go and then hold it close.'_

"I need your help."  
"Help?" She asked, voice pitch rising, "Why are you calling me?"  
He paused, possibly her rudeness startled him, "There have been incidents…"

"I can't help you." Her voice was cracking up now, in danger of becoming _hysterical._

"You could be useful. We-I- believe your…insights might be of use."

"I CANT help you."

The line was silent for a long time, when he spoke his voice was confused "Are you refusing to help?"

"Uhh…No…I mean, I was just…my Healers say that my recovery…" She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth tightly. In a firmer voice now, "I mean...how can I be of use?"

"I want you to fly out to L.A.- can you take a leave of absence for three weeks without disrupting you work too much?"

She wanted to say _no_, wanted to but didn't. Teaching Three World's Poetry didn't qualify as vital compared with Seeker work.

She made herself beam a huge smile, "Of course I can."

….

Ralph was waiting for her at the airport, a man of medium build whose body was in its early thirties and wearing a dark suit.

"I'm pleased to meet you." His handshake was firm and his gaze steady, "We've booked you a suit at the Hyperion."

"Thanks." He took her bags and asked about her trip on the way to the Seekers offices in the large black SUV he had brought. It was a disappointingly bland commercial building.

"I was expecting something grander." She remarked as they entered the lobby. A burly Seeker watched her enter and only stopped staring when Ralph nodded to him and made a strange motion with his hand.

"What's that?" She asked, indicating his hand.

"Oh...Nothing." He reddened a little.

She was impressed by how smoothly he lied…smiling a little she felt a little flush of blood in her own cheeks.

"If you'll come this way." He led her too an elevator which took them up to a third floor office somewhat less grand then her own at the university, hers also had nicer furniture and the coffee she was offered lacked any flavor except _bitter._

"Sit down…do you want a Doughnut? Some other kind of pastry?"

"No, I'm fine thanks." Ellen looked at the maps and folders piled less the tidily on Ralph's desk, noticing for the first time the dark lines under his eyes. She wondered how many hours he sat at this desk, drinking foul coffee and hunched over his work.

"Is it about Clementine? And…Leo?"

"We are conducting investigations into their crimes…" Ralph made a face that looked almost angry, "They have proved difficult to detain."

Ellen felt a surge of…what? She wasn't sure, just that her heart fluttered.

"What exactly do you need me for?"

"Insight." Ralph laid a hand on the table, "Insight into Humans." He made a slight puckering motion with his lips, like he's bitten into something sour.  
"You're a Seeker-I'll bet you dealt with more humans then me."

"Yes, but I have yet to give birth to one." He actually shuddered which made her want to snort- if he thought childbirth per se was bad he should try giving birth in a dark cave without analgesia.

"Some one has to do it for the greater good." She said in a pious voice.

"Your making fun of me."

"Uhh…" Seekers really weren't like normal people.

She reddened but he waved a hand, "No, no its quite alright. That's why we need you on this…issue. You have a different perspective."

"Your Focus determines your reality."

"Is that a poem?" he frowned, "I like poetry, but my duties give me little leisure time."

"Its from a movie…an old movie." Leo had been fond of saying it.

"Excellent!" he looked into her eyes for a moment longer then was normal, "I would like to see it some time."

They both blushed red and looked away.

"So, what can I do for you?"

"It's the babies…"

….

Stands Strong In The Wind was a woman in her early adult years who wore her silver blond hair in a long braid wound around the top of her head. She answered the door in a simple housedress, smiling broadly.

"Hi again, Ralph! And you brought a friend…?"

"Ellen." The other woman had a firm but controlled handshake.

"Ellen is here to consult and observe on your case."

"Well, come on in! I was just about to make cookies, Jamie's still at work but Little J just woke up." In the hallway Ellen heard sounds coming from the lounge and when Stands Strong brought them into that room she saw a three-year-old building blocks up and smashing them down. "Goes Bom!" He informed his mother.

Involuntarily a big smile plastered itself over Ellen's face and she knelt down beside the child, "Hi…what's your name little boy?"

The child considered her for a moment then said 'Lit'le J! But I big!"

"Your sure…Uhh," She stood up, embarrassed at the pointed look Ralph was giving her, "You sure are."

"He's SOO cute isn't he?" Enthused Stands Strong in the Wind, "Have you had one yet?"

"Uhh…" Ellen coughed, "Uhh…could I have a drink of water please?"

"We should talk where the Tiny Human cannot hear us." Ralph looked at Little J suspiciously, "They learn rapidly."

"He sure does! He can do most of his Alphabet!" Stands Strong gushed, "And count up to 10! Yay Little J!" she made an air punching motion and the Child chimed in.

"Seven nine ten!"

Ellen and Stands Strong looked at each other and giggled which made Ralph almost scowl as they moved to the kitchen.

"You guys want Coffee? Tea?"  
"Just water, thanks." Ellen sipped that tall iced glass as they sat around the table.

"Stands Strong In The Wind has refused to surrender the child for Implantation." Ralph began, "Denying the use of a perfectly good Host to a fellow Soul."

"I am his MOTHER." Stands Strong pointed out, her eyes flashing briefly, "And I think that he is just fine the way he is."

"Ellen…" Ralph said, raising an eyebrow to get her attention before turning suddenly to face Stands Strong, "I MUST take the child for implantation RIGHT NOW!"

The young face was suddenly twisted into an angry scowl, teeth showing and eyes huge. She regained control a second later and smiled uneasily, looking shaken by her outburst "Sorry…you made me feel sad. But I'm not gonna let you take him, I'm a MOTHER and I have the right." Her lips pursed firmly despite the smile and her eyes were hard.

"Yes, that's true. But Ellen, you saw the change in her facial expression?"

"Uhh…" Ellen nodded, having been held captive for so many years by Leo the look on the other woman's face did not disturb her much at all…which was itself highly disturbing.

"Ellen has also borne a child which escaped implantation." The Seeker said slowly, "And which has been implicated in the deaths of several souls."

"How awful for you!" Stands Strong reached across the table and squeezed Ellen's hand supportively, "How did that happen?"  
"It was…the father. He's disagreeable and violent, even for a human." She managed to say it without screaming _he was a crazy monster_ and running around in circles pulling her hair out.

Only Just.

"Stands Strong In The Wind is a very recent arrival to this planet." Ralph said shortly, "I believe that you came after the last large pockets of human insurgents had been moped up."  
"Oh…I never saw a wild human." She shivered with revulsion.

"Except for the one you are rearing." Ralph said, an edge in his voice.

"Oh Little J would never do something like that! He's very tame! My host body had great parenting skills and we've been reading all about child rearing."

"I fear you have let your…hormonal imbalances…cloud your judgment." Even for a Seeker this was an extremely rude thing to say.

"Thank you SO much for coming!" Stands Strong In The Wind rose and took his hand, shaking it vigorously as she almost pulled him out of his seat, almost pushing her guests down the hallway "Next time we'll bake cookies! You'll love my cookies-Choc chip!" She winked, opening the door and _almost _pushing Ralph outside.

"That was…strange." Ellen raised her eyebrows in amusement while Ralph looked almost grumpy for a moment before his expression softened.

"Strange but not unique…there are over a dozen semi-tame humans in California presently."

They walked in companionable silence back to the sleek two-seat sports car he had drawn from the pool today. They had visited three mothers of un-implanted children over the last few days, going over case notes and reports.

"Nice car…you don't drive this all the time?"  
"No." He frowned momentarily, "It just seamed appropriate today."  
"I like it." She told him, sliding into the passenger seat, pursing her lips she gave Ralph a look that caused his Hosts body to increase blood pressure and heart rate and broke him out in a sweat, "It is most…appropriate."

"Ttthank you…" His vocal cords were malfunctioning and he searched his Hosts memories for a similar occasion. Since his Host, the original Ralph, had lived on a remote farm in Idaho with a puritanical religious sect from birth to implantation its memories were not helpful. He got in and began to drive.

"What do you think of Stands Strong In The Wind and her hormonal bond with the Child?"

"I think it's…understandable." She looked at the houses passing them by-her memories, or rather Host Ellen's memories, told her that this had been a run down part of the city before the occupation. The host, had been here once before visiting relatives.

"Did you arrive here during the very early phases of occupation?" She asked, slipping sunglasses on.

"I did not have that Honor." He said stiffly. His eyes kept leaving the road momentarily and fixing on the line where her skirt ceased to cover her legs.

"Me neither…I got here when things were starting to heat up and people were dieing at the hands of the humans. Planet wide, dozens or more in a day."

"It must have been traumatic."

"Humans were willing to kill…blow themselves up to escape implantation, throw themselves off of buildings…they…"  
"I've read the reports." He looked at her, concern on his face, "If this is too much…too stressful…"  
She made a dismissive motion with her hand "Human's aren't like anything we been before-they had emotions that could… can destroy them."  
"This has been a concern of mine." He pulled over, putting the gearshift on Park so that he could face her, putting both hands over hers.

"But what concerns me more is can they Destroy US?" He was breathing faster for some emotional reason.

She smiled a little, reaching up to take her sun glasses off, he was shocked to see that she had tears, actual tears in her eyes. "Are you…alright?"

"Your very sweet, you know that?" she reached up and rested a hand on his cheek.  
"You are very…useful." He stumbled over the words, "Helpful…stimulating…I mean I find you… your company enjoyable."

She laughed, leaning closer until their faces were almost touching, "I enjoy your company too."

He was about to pull back when she leaned suddenly forwards and brought her lips against his.

"Uhh…" when she pulled back he was breathing like he'd run a mile.

"I think this body likes you." She laughed softly, studying his eyes, "_I_ like you too."

"Ughh…" he leaned forwards trying to bring their lips together but she slipped easily out of range, holding a gentle hand on his chest.

"Seeker, I have just given you a taste of the hormonal imbalances maternal Souls are feeling." She said in a very formal tone, "The mating urge is very strong is it not?"  
"Very strong..." he pushed a little against her hand "Requires study…"  
She gave a soft laugh, but not an unfriendly one, "Perhaps, Seeker, but currently we are in a no long term parking Zone and public view."

"Why do you do that?" he asked, composing himself with effort, feeling a flush of irritation, perhaps even anger.

"Do what?"

"You are…toying with me." He knocked the car out of park and pulled out with excessive speed, "doing something to my hormones."

"Ralph." She rested a hand on his arm, "I DO like you. Now, Stop acting like a teenager-we've only just met for goodness sake."

"You are more in control of you hormonal balance then I am currently." He made a somewhat pathetic face and asked, "Will I improve?"  
"Males don't usually." She smirked at him, sticking her tongue between her lips and blowing a raspberry.

"Perhaps I will be implanted in a female next time."

"Then you'd have a baby and be you'd be cooing over it every time it wet its diaper…" The mental picture gave her an alarmingly warm fuzzy feeling, "besides, I like you like this."

"Hormonally unbalanced." He said gloomily, looking down at what his body was doing of its own accord.

"That's one term for it…" she raised an eyebrow and he scowled.

"So…I would like your opinion on the babies-do you think that they are a danger to Soul-kind?"

"Being HERE, in these Hosts, is a danger." She shrugged, "We didn't evolve to deal with the range of emotions and complex urges these Hosts are built for."

"That is…" he looked aghast at the shocking statement even though he had been thinking much the same for a weeks, to admit even the possibility that there was a species who's infection might be beyond Soul's capabilities was humiliating.

"If that were true what would you suggest? That we abandon earth?"  
"Abandon?" he eyes widened at the thought, "is that even possible?"  
"Such a thing has never been done-it goes against our very nature- but Souls are nothing if not adaptable." He smiled thinly with his own irony.

"The waste…"  
"Do you think that these emotions are a danger to us?" he asked, looking plaintive, "I value your opinion."  
"I bet someone out of the first wave would know more-the Seekers…"

"I have questioned many of them, their perspective is…" he gave an angry snort, "colored."

"Colored?"

"I believe so." He looked most uncomfortable, "I believe their sacrifice renders them…They refuse to acknowledge any of our difficulties here."

"A few babies are hardly 'difficulties'" she snorted, "Just like a few wild…" Ellen's eyes narrowed, "But there's more isn't there? What aren't you telling me?"

"There have been other…" he scowled, "Other incidents."

"Incidents?"

"Injuries and even…deaths."

"From wild humans?"

"At first we thought so…but these incidents were in long pacified areas. I know of two… MURDERS." He whispered the hateful word, knuckles whitening on the wheel.

"MMMURDERS!" she croaked, "You mean Souls…Souls Ki…" she couldn't even finish the word.

He nodded, "Souls killing other Souls…The perpetrator in both cases chose the final death before we were able to…" he swallowed, "to apprehend them."  
"Apprehend…?" Souls _running _from Authority, the thought made her sick.

"WHY? How could they…" She brushed tears from her eyes for the second time in as many minuets. She feared that she knew the answer.

"We also found cases of…compatibility issues. The Host bodies of two Souls had been paired before insertion, but one party found the other…tiresome. The other found this…unbearable and struck the other several blows with her fist."

Ellen shook her head, "I thought it was me."

"You?"

"Emotional issues…I have difficulty being…balanced." She didn't go into details and he was too polite to ask.

"Your captivity-"  
Ellen exhaled sharply "I had them right off, from the beginning!"

"What are we to do?" he asked, sounding desperate, "Abandon this world? The waste…but if we STAY then we could _change_ very nature." Change was not a good word, not in that context.

"I don't think we could just uproot the Souls who've made lives here-its such a beautiful place."

"Unique, so I'm told."

"I guess we got our wish- we CAME to experience…" her laugh was weak "I was a Bat- where did you come from?"

"I was born here." Ralph blurted.

She looked at him in surprise.

"I am an accomplished Seeker." He said pompously, blushing furiously all the while.

"I'm sure." She tried not to giggle.

They on drove in silence, pulling into the parking lot of the Headquarters building as the sun was sinking. There was not much activity; Ellen suspected Seekers kept office hours like everyone else most of the time.

For some reason her eye was drawn to a blue sedan that was parked in the spot two down from the one they pulled into, the driver was just getting out-a nondescript young woman with dark hair down to the nape of her neck wearing a conservative skirt suit.

Ellen opened the car door with fumbling fingers, leaping out as the figure walked rapidly away.

"Miss…" She called.

The other woman ignored her walking rapidly on feet that Ellen now saw wore gray track shoes, her own heals clicked as she ran up behind, "Miss!"

The other spun as Ellen's hand touched her shoulder and heavily made up eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh…"

"Is there a problem?" Ralph was curious but not alarmed as he got out the other side of the car.

"Hi mom."

"Clemie…" Ellen whispered, glancing at her, then Ralph then back at the daughter she had borne.

"Hi Mom!" She smiled widely, her eyes flashing silver in the dieing sunlight, "Who's your friend?"

"Oh…I didn't realize that the Seekers had…found you."

"Oh well…I'll drop you a line." She turned and walked rapidly away.

"A friend?" Ralph asked, stepping up beside her.

"Someone I used to know." Ellen felt mournful suddenly, not at all what she SHOULD be feeling but she was beginning to see that _should be feeling _and _are feeling _were not as clear cut as they once had been for her kind.

Ralph took her arm and they walked into the lobby of the building.

They were about to enter the elevator when the blue sedan exploded.


	3. Chapter 3

Finder

Ellen woke up three days later feeling wonderful. _No-Pain_ had that effect on people.

As memory returned she glanced at her hand, little furtive glances until she could bare to look at the whole thing.

"Wonderful!" She breathed, opening and closing the appendage before wiggling each of the slightly too pink fingers individually.

"The doctors did a good job, didn't they?" Ralph looked down at her, a dark suited streak in the brilliant whiteness of the hospital room. He reached down to hold her hand, squeezing the new fingers gently.

"Yes." She smiled, "What happened?" Suddenly worried, "Were you…hurt?"

"I was shielded by part of the elevator door. Many Seekers were not so lucky."

"But what? How?" Her eyes widened, tearing up as she realized it was a _who_ not a _what._

"Clementine?" She whispered.

"Who?"

"The woman I was speaking too…before?"

Ralph nodded, "Oh, you mean Cloudy!"

…

Clementine, Insertion Center a week earlier.

_If you don't take care one day you might wake up dead._

I never believed that of corse, being seventeen makes you immortal-at least in your own mind.

Until one day I, well, DID. Mine, all mine.

_No way, bitch._ I could FEEL it inside me and I'd never known I could hate anything so much. I could feel its surprise, surprise and a touch of alarm, _I'm going to slice you out of me and bite you in two before I die._

I imagined the crunching gooeyness of the worm between my teeth and it recoiled momentarily. It was strong though, I could feel it inside my brain even though Father said that the brain has no pain sensors.

_You will loose,_ it sounded smug, and defiantly female- I recognized the voice, who'd have thought that Voices stay the same? Not me, but then I never intended to end up like this.

Should have saved that last bullet for myself instead of her, STUPID!

_You will loose, and I will have your secrets._

_Secrets? __How's this?_ I sent her images of the thermite burning through the worm-tanks. I sent her images of the worm I'd cut out of a Seeker's body while both were still breathing. I sent her images of the _experiments_. They had made ME feel sick at the time, but right now I gloried in the horror.

"I'm going to kill you!" The voice was mine, even through teeth locked together.

_No…_ I got an image of a horse, a big black stallion bucking and trying to throw its rider, the image changed to it being trotted across a field.

_We'll see, bitch. _I 'felt' for my hand, wanting to move it. That was a really strange feeling. When I couldn't find it I started to scream.

It had been just over a week since the explosion; Ellen sat at the table, studying the menu without any real desire to eat. She absently twisted a stray stand of hair, trying to keep her breathing even.

"Hi…" Ralph surprised her with the gentle pressure on her shoulder, making her start.

"Hi!" She smiled, putting her hand on his briefly as he sat beside her.

"How are you today?" he leaned forwards to kiss her but she moved a back just a little so he missed.

"I like your report-I think the council will be interested in what you have to say." He glanced around, "are you nervous about…?"

"Oh…no," Ellen shook her head, "I just cant decide what to Order!"

"The salad is very good here." He looked past her head, raising a hand and waving.

As the object of his attention came closer, he rose and shook the woman's hand, "Ellen, this is Cloud's Pass Outside The Crystal Window."

Clemie had grown into a fine looking young woman, though Ellen was sure that she would never have worn _that_ much eye make-up or such a loud shade of lipstick.

"Just Cloudy! Short, pretty, like me! Beats 'Pass Out' too..." She smiled at her own joke, shaking Ellen's hand as she sat. Looking around and signaling the waiter to bring her water she reached for a breadstick.

"Cloudy works in the New Mexico Office." Ralph said, "She is a Senior Seeker."

"Senior but not old!" Ellen was struck with how cheery the other woman was, Cheery and open, and no doubt honest, altruistic and noble, even if she did wear too much make up.

A memory of the original Ellen's mother floated to the surface of her mind-"_a girl who dresses like that is wanting one thing and you can bet she's sure to get it if there's a boy around."_

Ellen imagined, Clementine's grandma wouldn't have been impressed by a skirt that tight or the low cut blouse either.

Clemie would never have dressed so…_like a Painted Jezebel?_

_Freely_, she corrected herself; Clementine would never have dressed so _freely_...

Ellen sniffed disdainfully and took a breadstick and bit it slowly, trying not to feel the wave of what could not possibly be intense dislike that was churning around her stomach. Souls cared deeply for each other; anything else was simply not in their nature.

She smiled as sweetly as she could and asked about Cloudy's health.

"No need to beat about the bush- I know what you wanted to see me for." The other woman brushed a strand of _Clemie's_ hair out of her eyes.

"You do?" Ellen asked, the pitch of her voice rising.

"Of course." She leaned forwards, putting her hands onto Ellen's, "I understand how you must feel-" she tapped her temple with _Clemie's_ slender fingers, "I have her memories…most of them anyway. She's a REAL resistant Host." The other woman smiled wryly, "real resistant! But I'm a specialist."  
"She's…" Ellen felt faint, "Conscious? Is that…possible?" her stomach churned slightly.

"It happens, I'm sure Ralph's been filling you in on all _that _good stuff." Cloudy shook her head, eyes rolling, "But no, Clemie's dormant now. When I saw you it gave us a real start-had her jumping all over my skull like cat on a hot tin roof."

"I'll bet!" Ralph looked repulsed and fascinated at the same time, "I can't imagine what having one of them _inside _you must be like." He shivered, laughing at himself.

Ellen's smile became very, very thin. Her upper and lower molars crunching tight against each other. Cloudy noticed and leaned forwards, looking earnest.

"Anyway- you have NO reason to worry about Leo coming after you again-he cant hide in a city for long and the memories I've accessed make us sure he'll still be obsessed with killing me-he made Clemie promise to do the same for him if he ever got implanted…bet he's scary mad about the detonator on his car bomb being a dud." Cheerily grinning she lifted the breadstick and crunched with bright teeth.

"Oh." Ellen smiled a very real smile for a brief moment, then reached out for her glass and took a slow gulp of water to steady herself.

"Actually… I was just a bit curious."  
"Curious?" Cloudy asked, leaning forwards to study the menu. Ellen noticed Ralph's eye brows move upwards as his eyes studied the vista provided by two open top buttons.

"About…Clemie."

Cloudy looked up at her blank faced for just a seconds too long and then gave a smile that would probably fool any person who wasn't a Seeker, or well versed in facial expressions of wild humans.

"Clemie…? Shoot-What did you want to know?" her tone was conversational.  
"Oh…" Ellen fought to keep the rising tide of panic out of her voice, "I was just…wondering…Uhh…what she'd been _doing_…all this…time." She laughed a little hysterically, "Silly really."

Ralph was looking at her with concern but Clemie's perfect teeth were on display in a smile sunnier then any the real girl had _when she'd been herself_ Ellen thought sourly.

"Nothing you need to feel guilty about!" She reached out and lay a hand over one of Ellen's, "You were held against your will and had no idea that Leo would turn Clementine into an evil, murderous, disgusting monster who would do things that I could never tell you about-" she lowered her voice, "Things that made Senior Seekers who've been here since almost the beginning sick to see."

"Oh." Ellen brushed her eyes, furiously blinking, "I…I see."

"Don't worry." Cloudy gave her hand a sympathetic pat; "I know that being…_with them…_ for that long could make you…conflicted. I probably shouldn't have come-I'm sorry to have caused you pain." She sounded like she meant it and probably did.

"You didn't!" Ellen protested, rubbing angrily at her eyes with the table napkin, "No…I was just…See- I'm FINE now!" Her eyes were red and puffy.

"You sure are!" Cloudy nodded, face friendly but grave, "You need me to call your Comforter?"  
"N..No." Ellen drew in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, "I'm…Ralph and I were discussing this earlier…Biological Attachments are something new for us."

"Tell me about it!" On safer ground now, Cloudy relaxed a little "Back when it was just a few of us we had all KINDS of problems."  
"You were here in…the _beginning?_" Ellen found herself curious despite the ridiculous hormonal upset her body was putting her through.

"Sure was-" pride was an acceptable emotion for Soul's, "Back then I was a motel clerk-busy work, dangerous too."  
"You said there were…" This WAS what Ralph had first contacted her about after all, "Issues?"  
"Yeah-we had all ki…" She blew a stray lock of hair out of her eyes, "But, you know- that's all in the past! Old soldier's and stories-you know what its like." She began to rise.

"What will happen to Cl…your current Host? Will you keep it?"

"Oh…I guess I'll be keeping it until we draw Leo out…That monster has killed too many of us to get away this time." Cloudy glanced at Ralph, "This one's a goodie, and she's had a hard time- So take good care of her, hear me?"  
"She most certainly is." Ralph agreed, holding onto Ellen's hand and squeezing it a little.

"Take care now!" Cloudy nodded to them both and walked towards the door, her high heels clicking.

_Slut_, Ellen watched her swinging Clemie's backside with narrowing eyes.

Normally she would have felt bad at such a hateful thought.

Right now she wasn't quite normal.

…

Feet on the sofa in her temporary apartment Cloudy shook her head as she read the report on her phone. Still no sign of Leo even though he had never been able to stay anywhere very long without murdering people. In the days of Humans that might go unnoticed, but not now.

Pulling the page down with a quick swipe of her thumb on the screen she lifted her coffee to her lips, hissing slightly when she scolded her lips.

There was a knock at her door and she looked up expectantly, "Yes?"

There was another knock, this time more urgent, but no reply. Cloudy's eyes narrowed as her feet swung down onto the ugly but long wearing commercial carpet.

Her hand was already moving to the holster at her waist, drawing the snub nosed revolver and cocking the hammer.

"Who's there?" she called again from beside the sofa, running barefoot and silent to the door, peering through the spy hole.

Rolling her eyes she thankfully re-holstered the gun- only very few of the Seekers had learnt to _like_ the nasty things and Cloudy was not one of them. Enjoying the _chase_ now THAT was perfectly normal because it was all about doing the right thing- keeping people safe.

"Hi Ellen!" She smiled as honestly as she was able, which was a strain "This IS a surprise!"

"I brought food!" Ellen smiled, so nervous that even a newbie would have seen it.

"I see…." Cloudy smiled, looking at the greasy take out and wondering how to deal with the poor woman, "What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to talk."

"I'd LOVE to, Ellen…but, you see I'm kind of busy with work."

"I really NEED to talk…"

"Don't you think a Comforter might me better then me?" She rested a gentle hand on Ellen's shoulder, "I mean…isn't my Host causing you stress?" She searched the other woman's face, "Huh? Yeah? Its OK to say it."

"Oh…no…I mean, I…I NEED to! It would make me feel so much better…" She looked so pathetic that Cloudy's heart broke for her and she resigned herself to loosing an hour.

"Better come in then…" she stepped back, turning to walk back to the sofa, "Do you want som-OWWW!" turning, she reached up gingerly to rub her smarting scalp, looking at Ellen in surprise.

"Careful with that thing!"  
"Sorry!" Ellen lifted the small metal cylinder that she was holding and pressed the stud at about the same time Cloudy's Seeker senses were warning her that something was not quite right.

The floor rushed up to meet her.

…

Ellen drove at exactly the speed limit, fingers white knuckled on the wheel and her heart banging away in her chest like she'd been running.

"_Where did you come from? Where did you go? Where did you come from Cotton Eye Joe_!" she sang along with the radio at the top of her voice.

"Can you turn that down?"

She sang another two verses until the song ended, reaching out to change stations as the voice in back got louder and more irritated.

"How are you feeling?" Ellen finally asked, turning the radio down and glancing in the mirror.

"Why have you got me cuffed in the back of your car?" Cloudy asked, looking down at her bound ankles.

"Because if you weren't cuffed you wouldn't be in the back of my car!" Ellen laughed, she laughed a little longer then she felt she ought but it was hard to stop.

"My mouth hurts…and do I have a black eye?" Cloudy didn't look worried, just puzzled at this strange turn of events.

"You hit it on the carpet." Lied Ellen, "Sorry about that."

"You hit me…." Cloudy shook her head to clear the cobwebs, wincing a little, "YOU HIT ME on the head with…Then…why am I here?"

"We're going for a little drive…"  
"I don't want to go for a drive!" She said sharply, "I have work to do!"

"You can get back to your work soon."

"Ellen…I think you're having some kind of…hormonal thing." Cloudy narrowed her eyes, "Are you planning to do something…anti-social?"

"Uhm…anti-social?" Ellen giggled wildly, "What? Me? Hahah!"

"You're making me…uncomfortable." Cloudy said slowly, "I think you should take me back to LA now."  
"But…I will! In just a little while…"  
"Ellen…" Cloudy's voice took on a warning tone, "I think your behaving in a very disturbing manner."

"ME?" She laughed, turning up the radio. "Oh! We're just having a little drive! You and me…two friends…OH, This one's my favorite!" She turned the volume up until the windows vibrated to the strains of _Jesus loves the little children_.

They drove for several hours stopping when they came to a small house far from the others- to Cloudy it looked like the sort of creepy ass place wild humans hung out in. She noticed with concern that Ellen drove the car around the back of the building where it couldn't easily be seen from the road.

Turning the car off Ellen gripped the wheel, breathing slowly with her eyes closed. E_verything is fine. Everything is wonderful…I am a beautiful Soul among other beautiful Souls._

"If you let me go now we could…go eat." Cloudy suggested in a soothing voice, "You know, a burger sounds pretty good right about now…doesn't it Ellen?"

Ellen concentrated on her deep breathing.

"You know…I bet Ralph will be wondering where you are about now…maybe you should give him a call."

Ellen's eyes opened involuntarily, glancing at the empty phone cradle on her dash. She closed her eyes again and breathed.

"I am a happy beautiful Soul among other souls."  
"You sure are!" Cloudy sighed with relief that the silence was broken.

"I am a loving creature."  
"We all are!"

"I always do the right thing."

"The right thing would be letting me out of my own cuffs…" Cloudy suggested, "We could go eat…I could use a salad about now-how about you?"

"I always do the right thing."

"We'll laugh about this next week…wont we?" Cloudy tried to laugh but it died in her throat as the other woman opened her eyes, unbuckled her seat belt and turned around to face the back.

"_I_ may." She raised the cylinder.

…

"_Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling Clementine…"_ Singing…Mother was singing to me, which was weird. It was still dark in the cave, and cold…so cold. Why was she trying to wake me up?

"_Clemie…Clemie Darling."_

I growled low in my throat and grumbled something at her but she just kept on talking through my tiredness.

"WHAT?" I opened my eyes, scowling at her and she burst into tears. She started to kiss me, getting my face all wet. She was going to ruin my make up.

I wondered why I would be wearing make-up.

"Mom…?"

"Oh yes Clemie! I'm here!"


	4. Chapter 4

Father

"_You want chili's on your burger?" Her hair's blowing in the wind, like the shampoo commercial, and she smiles and I love her so much in that instant that it hurts._

"_Sure honey." _

_I watch her turn back to the grill, the suns so bright that it should hurt my eyes but it doesn't. I watch as she flips the meat expertly and sprinkles seasoning. Her sundress is almost transparent and I admire the curve of her spine, following the lines from the back of her neck, past the scar and down her spine to the small of her back. Stepping forwards I lightly rest my hand there, "I love you."_

"_I know." She leans her head back into my shoulder and my hands slip around her waist, "Leo!" she slaps my fingers playfully, "Clemie'll see!"  
"Get a room you two!" Clemie's voice behind us makes me turn-she's sitting on the old wooden picnic table I put there our first year here. She's wearing a swimsuit with an old shirt thrown over her shoulders to keep the sun off. She smiles, eyes flashing silver in the sun as she raises a bottle of beer to toast us._

"_You ready Hon?" Ellen gives me a plate with a bun holding a squirming worm on it._

"_Yeah!" I smile, happy, so happy that my family is together_

I rolled out of bed, breathing hard and crying so hard I could barely fumble for the pistol on the bedside. The apartment was dark except for the light from streetlights coming in the window, the only sound the low whoosh of traffic from the freeway.

Swinging the gun in a vague scanning motion and I tried to hear over my own strangled sobbing. Nothing…almost disappointed…the gun slipped from my fingers and hit the carpet with a dull thud while I curled up into a ball, clenching my teeth and trying to stop the groaning whine that forced its way between them. I fixed tear filled eyes on the weave of the carpet trying to control my spasmodic breathing.

….

"Wait till dad finds out you saved me." Clementine sipped the hot chocolate slowly, she was still badly shaken. Her hands trembled slightly as she held the mug.

"NO!" Ellen shook her head violently, "NO Clemie! You can't go back to him! He's bad! He KILLS people!" She looked uncertain for a moment then, realization dawning, horrified, "YOU murder people!"  
"I never killed a _person_!" the words stung Clementine.

"I guess you don't think I'm a person then!"  
"Didn't kill you!"

Ellen swallowed, taking a shaky breath, "That doesn't matter anymore- your OK now and I'll take care of you. No more...hurting people."

"We need to get out of here…" Struggling to her feet and swaying a little from the blood draining from her head she looked in surprise at the chain fastened around her ankle with a padlock.

"Mom!"

"Clemie…"

…..

Leo dreamt.

_I come home from work and I'm real tired._

_Ellen is making toffee and I kiss her cheek as I head for the sink to get a tall glass of cool water. Something's not right…I don't know what it is about the way she holds herself, but she leans into me, turning to catch my kiss. She's kind of clumsy in the kiss, which isn't like her._

_She's usually beat after work too, but tonight she's hot…I mean HOT… giggling as we tumble onto the bed. I glance at the clock radio._

_Wow…we haven't made it back to the bedroom this fast since before we were married. She's so excited that she's all fumbles with our clothes._

…..

Ralph sipped his coffee, looking at the open road and wondering if he was wasting his time…he might as well waste it on the road as sitting in the office. His superiors had wanted him to help with the L.A. search but he'd demurred and decided to follow his own Calling.

Ralph hadn't slept for two days, it seamed that every time he closed his eyes he had visions of Ellen. Ellen in a cage, Ellen dead in a ditch, Ellen being tortured…the medication kept him awake though it shaved the edge from his alertness after days of use.

He had asked at Gas stations along this road, pulling out his phone and showing pictures of Leo, Ellen and Cloudy-nothing for a hundred miles and then a possible lead.

One Soul _thought_ a car matching Ellen's had stopped for gas, the driver hadn't come inside.

…

"_I love you." I whisper in her ear and she starts to cry, just suddenly with no warning. One second she's calmly basing in afterglow and the next she's wracked with sobs that shake the bed._

"_Ellen…?" my voice is alarmed and urgent, "Ellen? What?"_

_She shakes her head, looking at me through tear filled eyes._

"_Ellen!" I sit up in the bed and she smiles at me though she's still shaking, "Did something happen?"  
"No…" She shakes her head, "I'm just so happy to be here...and…but I…"_

"_Hope you like it here!" I joke but she's got me worried, "That's why we got married…"_

"_I'm SO sorry." She reaches out and holds my face, not tenderly but more like its very important that I understand something, "I didn't know…don't…don't hate me, please?"  
_

I jerked awake in my chair, droll running down my chin where I'd slept with my mouth open, Clemie said that I snore…_Clemie._

"Crap…." I rubbed my face, willing the sleep away, at least _it_ had woken up…I'd thought maybe the second whack had been too much for it.

"How are you feeling?".

"TTThirsty…please?" She had been a small oriental woman, had the worm chosen a bigger host it wouldn't be in this predicament now-she'd been small enough to carry unconscious.

"Oh…I think that's a bad idea…" I considered, she looked _sick _"I _think_ I busted your kidneys…might make it worse to drink…much, much worse."

I didn't really care, I'd just as soon burn a Seeker alive as look at one, but I wanted this one in a good enough state to tell me what I wanted to know.

"Why?" It asked- a genuine question. I almost wanted to laugh, its one thing when Skin walking aliens take over your world-when they think _you're _the bad guy its just a little funny.

It thought it was the victim.

"Because you killed the person your wearing." I explained patiently, looking around the chamber out of habit. Sound proofing was good…not that I expected anyone to come wandering down the storm drains anyway, "Because your kind killed my Son…because it's a Tuesday…what reason do you want?"  
"Kill me….now?" it coughed up blood.

"Do you WANT to live? I call help and they could get you into someone else…maybe even fix the damage."  
It considered, actually pondering the question, which made me wonder how much pain it was in. Applying a Lead pipe to the kidneys isn't an exact science… A moment later it nodded.

"Clemie…where is Clemie?"  
"Whoo?"

"My Daughter…Clementine." I breathed slowly and kept my voice level, Ellen-the _real _Ellen- taught me that when we were dating. She used it to get herself calm before a lecture.

"Seekers caught her on a stupid traffic stop. I saw her walking so I guess you…." Deep breath slowly released, "Implanted her. I saw her in LA."

Nearly killed the parasite too, damn that timer…electronics were never my strong point and there wasn't time to learn enough afterwards.  
"Cloudy." She croaked softly, "I know Clo-chkkkkgghh." She was choking and I was surprised to see that it was my hands on her throat.

"Clementine! He name is Clementine you filthy fu-" I dropped her back onto the cold concrete "Sorry…you were saying?"

I don't know if I scared her, but I was starting to scare me. I didn't feel like I was in control anymore, not that I'd ever really been in control.

"Don't know…gone."  
"Gone where?"

"You…thought you had…her and…E…" The Seeker coughed suddenly, vomiting a gout of blood as her eyes grew wide with panic. She gagged for a few moments then looked pleadingly at me, "Help…now?"  
"When we're done…I have some _No Pain_ in my pocket." I patted the pocket, feeling the comfortable solidity of my pocketknife.

…..

_Its actually kind of nice to have a Soul on your side_, thought Clemie, _if we'd have had just a few then maybe humans would still be running the planet._

"We need to eat it up fast before it melts!" Ellen told her, scooping a large portion into her bowl and handing it to her.

"Thanks mom." She tried to sound sulky, what with being a prisoner and all that, but really at that moment she wanted the ice cream more.

Eyes flashing silver in the kerosene lantern light Ellen asked "You want to watch some TV?"

She'd brought a little battery powered portable model when she went shopping.

Her daughter rolled her eyes and Ellen giggled, "I know…its all crap. They used to have good shows…like Buffy! And Sex in the City and CSI …" she looked away for a moment, scanning the old carpet, embarrassed at revealing how she liked the memories of the old shows, "I wish you could have seen."

"You mean before?" Clemie asked through a mouthful of ice cream, the names meant nothing to her-by the time she'd got to see television the only shows on it were made by worms for worms, "Before the Souls? What was it like before you came?"

She realized that she knew surprisingly little about the old world, her father rarely spoke about it.  
"Oh, we've been HERE for a _long_ time. Before we…Uhh."

"Killed everyone?" Clemie suggested perkily, feeling bad almost at once as Ellen's face crumpled.

"Yes." She nodded, stirring at her ice cream slowly, "Before that."

"I'm…sorry." Clemie reached out and patted her mother's hand.

"Its true." She looked up, her face grave and serious, "Its what happened. I really wish I could take it back. But I cant."

"No mom…no you cant." Sighing and, putting the bowl down Clemie changed the subject "Mom- the Seekers will be going ape about …." The name stuck in her throat like a cockle burr "_Her.._. When they find us they'll put me down and…and…what will they do to you?"

Ellen went pale as a sheet, it hadn't occurred to her to wonder "I don't know." She whispered, "I think they might…send me away."  
"Kill you?" The thought seamed wild, unlikely…but then so was the situation.

"No Clemie…Souls would never…" She went quite for a second, re-choosing her words in light of recent events, "The Seekers would send me away- back to the bats, or someplace else. They'd think that this place was too much for me…its not like anywhere else Souls have been."

"Its not?" that was news to Clemie.

"No…your emotions, _human_ emotions, are different, stronger then any other Host species."

"Their not? So the other species you've…infected?"

"No Clemie…" Ellen looked at her long faced, "we just became them, _consumed_ them and became them… what they were."

"Dad says you're all a sorry ass pale copy of what people were like."

"He's…I think he may be right." She looked like the thought was a new one to her.

"So you're a pale copy of the REAL Ellen?" There was a sour taste in Clemie's mouth when she said it. She'd always known that there _had been_ a person named Ellen, but since the Seeker bitch had ridden her the whole thing had become more…_personal_ or perhaps _real_ to her.

"I guess I am."

"So which one of you is my mom?" She sighed searching Clementine's face.

"I don't know." She looked so sad and confused that Clemie almost felt like crying for her, "I really don't! Oh Clemie! Its so easy for _you_-humans are such…their so…and your so-so what you ARE but I don't know WHAT I am anymore!" She blinked tears away.  
"If they put you back into a bat would you forget? Forget everything?"  
"NO!" She said it with surprising violence, "I could never forget _you_…but it would be…different. Like going blind or deaf or…but knowing what sound is like but not being able to hear."

"Being people really messed you up mom."  
"I know."

"Hey…maybe this is humanities revenge!" Clementine laughed in a way her father never would have been able to, the poor guy, "You kill us and we give you brain gas….Consume you right back!"

She laughed too, brushing her eyes dry and the two spent the rest of the day playing checkers.

…

"_Try the back!" The voice was clear, precise and not in the least angry-Leo recognized it as belonging to the schoolteacher he'd met at last years parent teacher meeting._

_There was the sound of feet on the playground, little feet running and little voices calling out to each other like they were playing a game of tag. _

_He looked down at the struggling figure in his hands, "Its OK!" he whispered, bending low to the ear, "Don't be afraid!"_

_The eyes looked at him, wide and fearful and with a sudden burst of strength the small figure jerked his head free and screamed, "HEEEELLLPPPP! ITS GOT ME! HELPPP!" _

_Lights swung across the playground; catching the boy's eyes and making them flash inhumanly silver. Leo was transfixed by the lights, frozen like a deer before a pick up._

I jerked awake in my seat, nearly crashing the car in the process.

I'd fallen asleep driving! Damn- I didn't want to end up dead in a traffic accident after all these years- it would be too ironic.

A car had passed me- thankfully not a Seeker car- and the headlights had woken me.

I fumbled around on the dash and found the inhaler, drawing in a deep breath of the drug that jerked me wide awake before I had the cylinder back in place.

I didn't like it, using their drugs, but I'd like getting into a shootout with Seekers less; more to the point I had a mission. Where the Hell had Ellen and Clemie gone if I hadn't kidnapped them?

Clemie must be at least partially in control of herself- I'd heard that happened sometimes from Seekers. They could get pretty chatty if you knew how to ask them right.

Why she'd grabbed Ellen I didn't know…the Worm I'd questioned hadn't know much about why she was even in the city. Some sort of consulting job with a hot shot named Ralph.

_Ellen…_I wondered what she looked like now, if she did her hair like she'd used to-I scowled at the thought, amending it to _like Ellen used to._

The worm I'd questioned hadn't met Ellen, but she'd passed on the office gossip that she and Ralph had been heating up to the point that they would be 'partners'. I was a little surprised at the pang of jealousy I'd felt when she'd told me.

It was more that _she_ had been able to move on, find a person she liked and hope to live a life… there was no hope that would ever happen for me. Being the Last Man On Earth isn't much good when the last Woman's your kid.

_Clemie_. I swallowed least I start crying again, poor kid- what sort of life had I given her?

_The best you could._ It was little comfort, and it wasn't even true, she'd just been a tool for me most of her life.

A replacement, a reparation for the child I'd lost…then a tool to hurt her mother, a tool to turn on the Worms…how often had I treated her like a person? A real person?

Now, only now when it was too late did it occur to me that I should have been a better father.

The drug sharpened my mind, but it also made every memory crystal clear, sharp enough to cut as they played out unbidden and unwanted in my minds eye.

"_I'm sorry!" She looked like Ellen, she spoke like Ellen, but she was someone else._

"_I want her back. I want them both back!" He growled, throwing her back onto the sofa of their lounge, "Give me my wife back!"_

"_I cant!" She looked terrified, so terrified it almost made me laugh- _She _was frightened of _ME _even though she was the space monster, "I cant! There's no way!"_

"_Then I'll cut you out of them!" I meant it too, every word though in all my life I'd only been in three fights- two of those in grade school._

"_Please Don't! You'll just kill the Host's body along with me! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"_

"_There must be a way! My boy…" I ground my teeth, never, ever had I hated something so much as I did then "You took my SON."_

"_Its different…your different! We…I…shouldn't have, would never have come! I didn't know!"_

"_There must be a way!"_

"_Its been too long!" the monster said desperately," She's gone!"_

_The emptiness was too much and an animal howl of pain escaped my lips._

….

I saw the disturbed gravel on the driveway on the way past- most worms didn't like to live too far out of town and the isolated houses were pretty much all abandoned. I didn't recognize it at first; it was just the way leaves had been disturbed that drew my eye.

Driving half a mile down the road and pulling over I killed the engine and checked that the cars internal lights were dead before I opened the door and stepped quietly onto the grass.

Looking around in the dark I began to jog back towards the place… I was almost there when I realized where this was.

It was Ellen's mom's place- we'd visited while she was pregnant…I'd never told Clemie, maybe she'd been asking her mom about old times…I'd never told her much about…well, much about things before. The moon was good, and it was a clear night so I could find my way around the back of the building easily enough. There was a car…I didn't risk messing with it, instead slipping my sneakers off and tying the laces together, tossing them around my neck as I headed for the back door, easing the handle down.

Not locked; No worm ever locked their door which was good for me since I'd never learnt to pick locks.

For a moment I stood there, wondering if this was _it_, finally the trap that I walked into. The end…even if I cared there wasn't a choice; I owed Clemie a clean ending-I wanted her to be in control, really in control- but knew it was just a fantasy.

I reached deep inside myself for the small kernel of anger and hate that had kept me moving all these years and pushed the door open.

Creeping into the darkness I listened, voices…upstairs.

Drawing my pistol I headed up the stairs, mouth open and eyes darting. The step creaked and I froze- no interruption in the talking. Another step, then another and I was outside a door with a strip of light streaming under it.

A quick boot and the door flew open, I stepped into the room fast, swinging the pistol and taking in the view.

Ellen was drinking a beer, Clemie was drinking a beer, and they were sitting on the dilapidated bed playing checkers.

"Hi dad…." Clemie said, blinking rapidly.

I leveled the gun at her head, "Anyone home?"  
Her eyes went wide and her mouth opened to say something and I hesitated, it's not so easy to put down someone you cared about.

"WAIT!" She managed to gasp, "Me! It's me! Dad it's me! Please don't shoot! Please! Please?"

"Hands on heads." I was breathing fast now, too fast, as they complied. Flashing their faces with my flashlight I let a huge sighing breath out.

Ellen's eyes shone like a cat's in the dim light, Clemie's didn't.

My knees were suddenly week as I staggered to the bed, almost collapsing as I grabbed her, hugging her close. I couldn't remember the last time I'd done that, not since we'd left the cave, maybe.

Forehead to forehead the words just tumbled out, "Thought you were gone…thought you were…I DO love you Clemie…Soo much…"  
"I know dad." She sounded like she was crying too and I pressed on, _had _to now before I clammed up again.

"Never told you I loved you…as much…more then…then…"

"Shhhh." She put a hand over my mouth to silence me and I knew it was too late, she would never believe me and would always think that she was just a replacement, a spare.

"How….?"

"Mom…she took it out."

"What?" I sat up, staring at her, mouth dropping open.

"She took it out….isn't it wonderful dad?"  
I stiffened, turning as Ellen rose quietly.

…..…..

Ellen thought that if she made the door he would be too busy unfastening Clemie to bother with her.

"You lied to me." She stopped, knowing exactly where the muzzle of his handgun was pointing, the spot between her shoulder blades itched from imagined pressure.

"Yes." She was amazed that her voice was so steady, why be frightened when you _knew _what was going to happen?

"How? What did you do?"  
"I wont tell you."  
"I can make you."  
"No…you really cant" She felt a little sad that Clemie would see Leo shoot her, sadder that she wouldn't get to see Clemie grown into something other then a monster, and saddest that she understood exactly why Leo was going to pull the trigger.

That understanding was what tainted her, what made her _wrong_.

She hoped that it gave him some satisfaction, perhaps some peace.

"Could you…could I bring _her_…."

"Its been too long…"

"Back when I asked you?" there was an edge in his voice now, and she knew he was working his anger up. She wondered why he felt the need, "Could I have brought _him_…" There was a long exhale and silence, when he spoke he was calmer, "No…I don't care anymore. You saved my daughter. Why?"  
Ellen turned slowly to face him; the gun was hanging in his hand.

"She's mine too, Leo."

"You killed my wife."

"Yes…" She swallowed, "I'm…nothing I can say will…I'm truly sorry."

"Sorry?" he looked incredulous at her words, "Sorry?"  
"I didn't know you were…people." It was hard to explain, he'd never understand, of that she was sure, "You were just…things." She blinked through tears, "Host's, experiences, memories…things to take because we thought we _deserved _them more then you did. It was…_we _were wrong."

He was about to say something when all hell broke loose.


	5. Chapter 5

Mother

The Seekers that Ralph had called as soon as he'd spotted the car parked around the back of the building would have to come from the next town. He'd been checking every abandoned house on this road; after calling for help he had hidden behind the car and waited. He hated to leave Ellen and Cloudy in danger a moment longer then necessary, but he did not want to risk loosing his prey. Better to wait and strike with surprise and overwhelming numbers.

_Sirens! _He said a word that made his ears blush red when it escaped his lips.

Were they _trying _to get the hostages killed? These stupid local Seekers were probably only used to chasing off raggedy assed wild humans stealing pets to eat.

Making a quick decision now that surprise was already gone, Ralph thought of Ellen and drew his sidearm. He chambered a round and ran into the house. The sound of voices upstairs drew him. He didn't give himself time to think, drawing a breath he kicked the door open.

His memories were hazy, very hazy, after that until the Seekers Healer dosed him with _No Pain_ and carried him off in the back of a Medical Wagon.

….

Leo was never quite sure, afterwards, what he would have done.

It was one of those life changing, cusp of a new world moments where you can _feel_ the world-or maybe just your own part of it- being shaped. Would he have put a single round between her eyes like he'd planned for years but never been able to bring himself to do? Or would he have left her there; taking Clemie and going on as before? A part, a very small and shameful part of himself, wanted to hold her against him and inhale the sweet perfume of her hair and skin and _forget_ the injustice, the blood, hate and anger. It wanted to _forgive._

He knew deep down that she would agree to this and while he lived she would pretend to be his. Love him…hold him and care when he woke up sweating and crying in the night.

It would be a lie, he knew, a shameful lie built on the bones of a dead woman…but he might have taken that path because it would bring peace. A man couldn't live on pop-tarts, _Awake _and hate forever.

Leo was about to do one of the above when a man burst through the door and emptied an entire fourteen round magazine from his pistol. Leo blinked in surprise, shooting his assailant once in the gut as the last round left the other guy's gun.

As the shooter writhed around the floor in agony, a dazed Leo patted himself all over. Not a single bullet had struck.

"That was…was…" His legs almost collapsed under him, reaching out a hand to steady himself on the wall. Bewilderedly, he watched as Ellen screamed and fussed over the Seeker.

"Ralph! RALPH!" She was trying to stop the blood by pressing on the wound, but that just made the Seeker struggle and bleed, more.

"Who the hell are you?" Leo hadn't felt this punchy for years. He pulled Ellen off and knelt on the man's gut. Seeker screamed as Leo patted him down and removed three spare magazines and a phone. He tossed the phone into the corner and pocketed the magazines.

"Time to go Clemie."

"No! Leo!" Ellen was tugging his arm, swatting at him like he was a giant fly or something, "Don't kill him! Please! NO, NO, NO! NOT Ralph!"  
"Clemie, we're getting the hell out of here." He tossed Ellen away, looking at her face he felt a sudden urge…an urge to kill this Seeker and have Ellen watch. The urge made him sneer with delight even as he felt a wave of revulsion and disgust at himself. To have Ellen watch and remember forever, just like he had to remember every time he saw her face.

He was looking into her eyes as he took hold of the Seeker's hair. He forced the head back and shoved the barrel up inside its mouth, hearing teeth break. Ellen looked at him, eyes wide for a long moment as if she was seeing him for the first time.

"No…I'm _better _then _you." _He spat the words, shaking inside at how out of control he felt. Killing was one thing but if he did _this…_ Leo jerked his knees and put himself upright, sanity returning_._

"Clemie, we'd better get the fu-" Clementine lay on the bed, not moving as a pool of blood spread over her chest.

"Oh." He stepped forwards; reaching to her neck to feel for a pulse that he knew wasn't there.

Dead.

She was dead.

The story was ended…He'd come expecting this result, steeling himself for it, but after all the events of…what? The last ten minutes? It felt like a lifetime.

It was all too…_unfair._

He turned to Ellen, the writhing Seeker not even registering to his dazed brain anymore, "She's dead."

Ellen stared, shaking her head, and he wondered why he'd ever been bothered to want her, or anyone else, dead…if was all suddenly so _pointless._

"But…she's…no." Ellen shook her head, "No! She can't be!"

There was a crash downstairs…shouting, yelling. Leo wondered if he should fight. He could just sit here and let them kill him. That seemed like a good idea. Yes…_to sleep, perchance to dream…_the thought made him shudder. He looked around the room for another way out. He yanked the blanket from the window. Then rolling over the sill, he tumbled to the ground just a black clad Seekers burst into the bedroom. Leo felt bullets flying over his head. He hit the ground poorly taking the fall on his elbow. Winded, wheezing and hurt, he struggled up, his smashed elbow made him scream. He began to run, gritting his teeth against the pain.

…..

Clementine was irritated to be dead again. Being dead was boring, just a long darkness with the occasional murmur or flash of…well, pain wasn't the right word, more like pressure. Were they taking her to be buried? She wondered if the Worms buried bodies or just cremated them. She didn't really care if they cremated her as long as it didn't hurt…it wasn't as if anyone would come to visit her grave. The world started to get lighter and she wondered if that was the Light that was said to lead to the Other Side. They probably turned it off to save power, she thought with a mental sneer. Yeah, _turn the lights off when you go, Clemie_.

Last girl in the world and she never even got to kiss a boy, well, except for hazy memories of that creepy janitor Cloudy had done the wild thing with in the boiler room of her apartment block. Clemie's skin crawled at the memory…the guy had smelt of B.O. and Cheeto's.

"She's coming round."

"Ughhnahh!" The sound was coming from her own throat, she realized with alarm. Crap! I'm still alive. She felt a wave of anger at the unfairness of being cheated of a clean death _twice_…she wondered of she would be able to put up a better fight when they implanted her the second time around.

"Clemie…open your eye's please." The voice was brisk and business like, she complied because not doing so gained her nothing.

The room was white, pristine white and lit by diffuse lighting. A group of besmocked Healers stood around, staring at her like she was an animal in the Zoo. She resisted the urge to growl at them; instead she studied the one who had spoken. He was _wearing_ she reminded herself, a middle aged man, thickset with muscular forearms, and stubby, clumsy looking fingers. A grizzled shock of salt and pepper hair on his head matched the too-lazy-to-shave stubble on his face.

"How do you feel, Clemie?" he took a small pen-light from his top pocket, spinning it in his fingers in a way that said he'd had the habit since before he was him.  
She considered, having never been asked this question before to the best of her memory, certainly never by a Soul.

"Like someone shot me." She deadpanned.

The group of Healers…Learners she guessed, tittered and whispered amongst themselves while the one beside her just smiled. She wondered if this was some messed up dream. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced around the room. Some one had put flowers in a vase by her bedside cabinet.

"You were quite badly damaged…the bullet hit you in the chest and tore out part of your left lung…we spent a goodly amount of time patching you up."

"Joy." She said, a sneer of disgust on her face. Angry at them for waking her up so they could gloat it was just so…well, more like something Father would do really.

"Clemie!" The voice just increased the sense of unreality. She hadn't seen Ellen standing a little apart from the student Healers. A man in a black suit stood next to her, looking like he'd bitten a lemon. Ellen wore a smart looking skirt and blouse, her hair freshly done. She walked rapidly over even as the Healer opened his mouth to protest.

"Clemie! I explained to them how Leo murdered Cloudy!" Ellen looked sickened thinking about it. Clemie recalled how hard Ellen had sobbed into her shoulder the one time Cloudy's fate had come up. She thought it was probably real emotion.

"Yes…" The Healer wasn't used to being talked over. He sat on the bed between them and went on, "Now please focus on the light- Let's see there's no neurological damage." He moved the light left and right, chuckling as she moved her head.

"Head still please!" he took a gentle hold on her chin, repeating the procedure.

"Very good." He watched her tracking the light left and right, then up and down, "Your in remarkably good shape considering…there's a mild tendency to diabetes in your genome so watch diet and exercise. Also you'll need corrective lenses in advanced age…open!"

She opened her mouth and was surprised as he popped a lollipop from his top pocket into it. She almost spat the candy out. The students laughed.

"Now Clemie." Ellen stroked her face, eyes warning her to play along, "I told them what happened."

She sincerely doubted _that,_ but nodded sucking the lollipop.

"And…"

"And since…" The man in black spoke and as she looked again she recognized him for what he was, eyes narrowing in instinctive hatred. _Seeker._

He looked like every word was burning his tongue as he went on, "Since Ellen is claiming that she's you _Mother… _your situation is…_open to debate..."_ he glared daggers at Ellen who just glared them right back.

"You're coming home with me!" Ellen told her excitedly.

"You will be released into the care of your…._Mother…._until such time as your actual status is decided." He was too polite to say _until such time as we put you down like a dog _but it was quite clear that was what he meant.

"I…" She just nodded, not trusting her voice.

"You have been fitted with a security device." His eyes narrowed, "If you violate the safety of Souls we will use it to terminate you. Do you understand?"  
"Uhh-huh."

"We're taking the shuttle this afternoon!" Ellen told her, "I'm taking you home Clemie! Home!"

….

Clemie walked beside her mom, resisting the urge to turn and run as they made their way through the teaming crowds at the Airport. No one even seemed to notice her, dressed in a spare pair of scrubs and gray rubber croc's that someone had given her.

"What happened?" It was the first time that they were relatively alone and unwatched since she'd woken.

"I claimed you-I'm you Mother."

"Yeah…you always were. Didn't stop them putting a Worm in my head."  
"A Soul, please Clemie. A Soul." Her mother pursed her lips disapprovingly.

"Yeah…Soul." Her throat was dry and she looked longingly at the food booth.

"Are you hungry?"

"Thirsty." She kept on walking, but Ellen took her arm and gently led her to the counter where a pimple faced Soul in a stripy hat waited.

"What would you like?" Ellen prompted her as the Server looked expectantly; Clemie's mouth went dry.

"How can I serve you?" His voice was just breaking. He was younger then her; she wondered if he'd been implanted as a baby. Did that make it better or worse?

"Coke please." She croaked.

"Diet or regular?"

"Diet…please." She had read about diabetes and didn't think Souls made insulin anymore. The Soul smiled at her, filling a big paper cup with ice and Coke and handed it to her with a smile.

"Have a nice day!" He sounded like he meant it.

Sucking the straw greedily she stepped away, willing her heart to stop thumping the front of her chest.

"Motherhood is…I guess, _important_ isn't enough…is _sacred_ among my people," explained Ellen.

For some reason when she said _my people_ it made Clemie shiver.

Ellen noticed but didn't comment, "SO…after the Seekers found out you weren't Cloudy they were going to…" She shuddered, "to _discard_ you as unsuitable for a Host. When I said I was your MOTHER, and said that I wanted you, it put them in a…difficult position."

"You could just…say _"This is my daughter_' and that's it?" She was incredulous.

"No…I said _I _am your Mother. You have no rights amongst Soul's. My being your Mother is what matters." She shrugged, seeing the other's scowl "Sorry."  
"You could have done that…anytime?" Clemie felt herself scowl harder, thinking of cold nights in the forest and eating out of garbage cans.

"Your not…your standing is not known. I _think_ we'll be ok…but…I can't promise Clemie."

"What does this thing do?" She twisted at the smooth and seamless steel band around her wrist.

"If you do anything…wrong… then the Seekers can activate it via Satellite."  
"What does it do?" She bet nothing good.

"It will release a…Uhm…a very large dose of…Uhm…medicine."  
"Medicine?" Clementine raised an eyebrow, "What kind of medicine?"

"You would…go to sleep. Forever."  
"Eww…" She tried to slip it off, but the damn thing was smaller then her hand.

"Don't mess with it! If you try to cut it or break it, it'll activate!"

"What kind of evil person thinks of a thing like that?" She cried bitterly, holding her wrist before her face and staring hatefully at the thin silver band.

"Uhh…" Ellen went very, very red and didn't say anything else until they got on the shuttle.

…

"Here we are!" Ellen said happily, leading Clemie into the apartment and flicking the light's on.

"Wow mom…." Clemie looked around, eyes looking by long training for items worth carrying off.

"Rascal!"

Clemie's eyes opened with surprise at the name, growing wider as a large tabby cat came running out of the kitchen and yowled at Ellen who reached down and scooped him up, stroking as the cat purred furiously.

"Did you miss me?" She asked, her voice changing to baby talk, "Did you miss your moma? Did you? Huh?"

Clemie looked at the cat, which looked at her over Ellen's shoulders and hissed.

"Rascal! Be good for Clemie!"

She dropped the cat who ran off and showed Clemie the apartment. Then they went shopping for new clothes…to Clementine it was still very strange to be able to just walk into a store and take stuff up to the register without fear.

"Clemie!" Ellen admonished her, "Why are you taking three of everything?"

"Uhh…" because she didn't believe she could just come back and get some more when she needed to, "No reason I guess."

They checked out their purchases and got a coffee from Star Buck's on the way home, sitting out in the afternoon sun at a table and sipping it.

"So…what do you want to do, Clemie?"  
_Stay alive_ wasn't what Ellen would want to hear, so instead she just shrugged.

"You have to do _something_. I don't know if they would take you at a food preparation place…but perhaps an office? Or you could…would you like manual work maybe?"  
"I always worked with my hands…" She smirked at her mothers face, "Just teasing."

"Clemie." Ellen said slowly, "Clemie you _must _do everything you can to fit in. I know it's not easy for you to…" Ellen considered her words, "The Seekers were… _very_ upset with me…they don't like you."

"I hate them." Clemie said softly. She hated them for screwing her father's life up, more so for how they'd hunted her like an animal.

"Clemie…" Ellen said delicately, "Hate…anger is… Please, even if _you _don't want to live will you please try for _me?_ Please? You know…." She sniffled, "You know how much I gave up for you."

"Yes Mom." Clemie nodded, feeling stupid and mean and selfish.

"How about college?" Suggested Ellen, brightening suddenly "You could take classes and we could eat lunch together?"

"College?" Clementine wondered what she could learn at college.


	6. Chapter 6

Student

"_Why should I trust you?"_

_Laughter, soft and feminine but without pity, "Do you have a choice?"_

"_I could fight you,"_

"_To what end? If I wished you harm would I even need to ask? "  
"NO! I'll never… never…Your one of them! Why would you want to help me?"  
"Quite simply I don't." again laughter, but this time with just a hint of pity, a cool hand on the face, "This isn't about YOU anymore."_

…

Clementine listened to the lecture, fascinated despite the horrible thrills it sent through her to hear the Speaker talk about the way that Soul's had spread across the worlds. The Speaker had seen the…the– Clementine didn't know the word _Genocides_ but would have applied it if she had- _Spread _of Souls across three worlds personally.

She was possessed with a tremendous surge of hate and the urge to just walk up and kill this… arch murderer who talked about infecting the _Bears_ like it was a vacation.

Came, saw, murdered…

"Next week I'll tell you about my time on the Fire Planet." he smiled at the students and Clemie rose, feeling her feet carrying her forwards towards the speakers podium. This had been coming in the weeks she'd lived in civilization, the rising tide of disgust and hate that she simply couldn't choke down anymore.

"You ARE her!" Clementine stopped as a hand settled on her shoulder. Her blank face taking on a bland smile she turned to face the speaker, stepping away from the unwelcome touch.

"What do you think of Wanderer's lectures?" the girl was, physically at least, about her own age, frizzy blond hair reached her shoulders.

"Just wonderful to hear how Souls expanded their….habitat." Clemie smiled mechanically, looking at the two behind her- both male, one the same age as her and the other a lot younger- in his teens she guessed. The moment of self-destructive hate had passed and she was back in sickening fear and caution mode.

"You see!" the girl gushed, glancing at her companions, "Didn't I tell you?"

"What?" Clementine asked, smothering her scowl.

"You lie SO well! Humans are just so… so devious and sneaky!" She clapped her hands, "I'm Rain Falls from the Upper Petals, BTW!"  
"Uhh…Thanks…I think… Petals."  
"Oh NO!" the girl giggled, "I'm RAIN…. This is Petals." She reached out and crunched the youngest one's be-zitted cheek. He scowled at her, looking at Clemie with something like hostility, "And this is Wind Shakes Root's Twice." She nodded to the other who smiled politely.

"I am pleased to meet you." Clemie said and Rain squealed with delight, "Oh your SO good at that! How do you do it?"  
"Do what?"  
"Say something that's not true? You MUST come with us!"

"Why? Are you planning to infect me?" it was half a joke, but only half.

"Oh NO!" Rain giggled, "That would be SUCH a waste!"

…..

Ellen made soup, weeping into the pot at she stirred.

Her face was blank, her eyes red from her the tears running down her cheeks. Clemie liked soup, she liked tomato soup and Ellen _could_ make it. She most defiantly _could not_ make her daughter feel the proper feelings and think proper thoughts for someone living amongst Souls.

It was all so…so horrible. Clemie was a _monster. _She had _dreams…_Ellen heard her talking in her sleep at night and she said…_things_.

Horrible things. Things no Soul would ever think of saying.

Worse Ellen knew that Clemie hated being _here_, with her, living a decent, normal life- she probably wanted to go back to causing mayhem and eating peoples pets.

Even worse then that, one of these days there was a better then average chance that the Seekers would work out what had _really_ happened to Cloudy…when they did she wouldn't be able to protect Clemie anymore.

She stirred the Soup, mixing crumbled cream cheese and tears into it.

The doorbell buzzed, startling her out of her thoughts. Taking a sheet of kitchen roll she rubbed her cheeks dry and blew he nose as she went to answer.

"Ralph." She folded her arms across her chest, stuffing the snot rag into her sweater sleeve.

"Ellen." He looked freshly washed and pressed, slightly uncomfortable and-though she hated to admit it-kind of cute.

Silence.

"How are you?" He asked, not meeting her gaze.

"Well…You?"

"I am…well." He shifted his feet, "Can I come in?"  
"Clemie's at College."

"I know. I needed…_wanted_…to talk with you. Alone."  
"I am cooking, Seeker." She said, watching him flinch at her use of his title rather then his name, "But if it's important then by all means come in."

He followed her to the kitchen, sniffing, "That smells good."

She continued to crumble cream cheese into the pot stirring, and said nothing.

"Ellen." He took a breath, "Ellen…please release Clemie for implantation. I promise we'll find a suitable Soul-she won't be discarded."

"No." Ellen sniffed, choking back tears.  
"It would be better for you-I spoke with you Comforter-" he held up a hand as she turned her head to glare at him, "He would only discuss generalities! But he did tell me that you are under a great deal of stress."  
"Someone is trying to…to _discard_ my daughter!" Ellen hissed, not caring if anger showed in her voice. Ralph shrank back, embarrassed by her show of negative emotion.

"Ellen, she's not even a _SOUL_! Worse, she is a DANGER- you know it! Please don't oppose us in this- _Please _don't…don't oppose _me!_" his voice, full of hurt, became pleading.

"I am her MOTHER!" Ellen snapped, banging the wooden spoon down on the counter, "And I will oppose anyone who tries to…to….to…" She wrung her hands, "Whoever they are! Even you!"

"Ellen…" Ralph looked at her, his eyes gleaming with tears, "I've looked at…at what you said happened…when Leo…Cloudy…"  
"YYYes?" her voice caught in her throat.

"Did…I find it hard to…reconcile events…did you…did…" he turned away from her, breathing rapidly "I am very attached to you Ellen and it hurts me that you are acting contrary to the public good."

"Thank you for your concern Seeker Ralph." She turned back to her soup, stirring it furiously as he stalked out of the kitchen. A moment later the front door slammed.

….

"Are you nervous?" Ellen smiled, adjusting the bow around Clementine's neck for the hundredth time.

Clementine thought of, but didn't say, something caustic, instead opting for a simple "No!"

"Good!" Ellen smiled, the expression reaching her eyes for the first time in days and Clemie thought suddenly that her mother was starting to get crows feet. The last few weeks had been a strain for her, _even if she doesn't have to wear the Bracelet Of Death 24/7,_ a sarcastic voice added.

"Why do I have to wear a bow anyway?" She asked, pouting, "Look like a birthday present."

"You look wonderful." Ellen told her, "You sleep ok?"  
"Yeah mom." She lied, looking towards the sound of approaching feet.

"Are you ready?" Rain looked frazzled, scrolling franticly down the display of her phone-jabbing the screen from time to time, "Your on in 12 minuets!"  
"Ready as I'll ever be." Clemie let the Soul hustle her off and Ellen thought about how hard her daughter had been working on her lines. She hurried to her seat in the part of the Theater set aside for facility Members.

The Dean was already seated, with his partner beside him; he waved for her to take the empty seat beside him.

"I'm looking forwards to this, Ellen!" he chuffed cheerfully, "We haven't had a show since…well, since…" He tapped his nose, winking at her in the subdued light.

"I remember." She nodded, there had been no show's here for years- the entire campus had been under a heavy strain re-ordering the education system into something more useful to Souls- every student needed an individual course of instruction in a world where a person might have a dozen lives experience of Spider engineering but no idea how to do basic human mathematics or operate a toaster.

"Hope those Flowers do a good job!" he said, "Hear your….your…" He looked uncomfortable, trying to pick a word that would not offend or embarrass.

"My Clemie?"  
"Yes! Your Clemie! Hear she's good- very good. Or maybe just better then _we _are." He chuckled, "Lie's aren't our strong point, are they, eh?"

"We'll have to see." The lights dimmed and from behind the curtain Clemie stepped into a spotlight, wearing a red robe and a plastic Halloween skull mask that had been cut away to expose her mouth.

"_We have a tale, O gentle Souls_

_A tale of Human life and Woes_

_Soul's love peace, and Humans strife_

_And of how True Love can make a new Life!"_

Ellen shivered, wondering what Clemie was thinking as she delivered her lines.

The curtain opened to show the planet of Flowers, or at least what it would look like if the Flowers were badly painted Beings made of papier-mâché with human heads.

The dialogue was somewhat stilted to her ear, but she sensed that it was passing muster with the audience. The first part was about the Flowers being bored with each other and their world and deciding to move to the newly opened world of Earth.

There were poems, songs and a rather poorly done dance (one of the Flowers fell over and had to be helped off stage) then the curtain dropped and Clemie, in her creepy narrator outfit, delivered a few lines and it was time for the intermission.

The Catering Facility, thrilled with the chance to help, had provided snacks and drinks in the lobby. One of the more enthusiastic students had set up a small Sushi table.

Ellen took a drink of lemonade and was turning around when she found herself facing Ralph.

"Hi Ellen." He said, face neutral.

"Hi Ralph." She said, wishing desperately that she could think of something else to say, something that would make him smile.

"I…I like the show." He said, obviously trying to make conversation, "Did you help with it?"  
"Oh…no!" She found herself looking deeply into those very pretty eyes, "Clemie wouldn't even let me see the script!" She flinched inwardly as the name left her lips, but – miraculously- he didn't scowl at the mention of Clemie.

"She…recites very well." He said evenly, returning her gaze, "Perhaps Performance will be her Calling?"

"Perhaps." Right now Ellen couldn't think much about it, blood rushing in her ears.

"Perhaps the Other's will gravitate towards similar Callings."

"The Others? Oh…" The Un-implanted, thinking of them brought her back to earth with a bump, "How many are there now?"  
"We think several hundred, world wide."  
"That's….a lot!"

"We'll be busy keeping track of them as they grow more dangerous…." His eyes narrowed for a moment, anger flashing and she found her hand on his arm.

"Please-don't be angry with me…not tonight." Tonight Clemie would show people that she was more then a Soulless monster. Tonight she would earn a chance to live.

"Anger…" he looked away, "No…I could never stay angry with you… not for long."

"Then…" She licked her dry lips; meeting his gaze as he looked at her again, "Sit with me? Please?"  
"Yes." He smiled, a small smile that grew larger.

…..

Clemie felt like she was rushed off her feet, changing costumes three times in the second act to play (in order) the narrator, a Seeker and a Wild Human. The last was the most fun since she got to growl and scare gentle Souls. It was pretty laughable (she had to choke giggles down at some of the lines, but Petals was a real bitch-for a Flower- if you changed the lines). She could sense the audience tensing when she did her Wild Human with a Hatchet Dance. It _had_ been the Evil Human with a Hatchet but Petals had re-named it when she'd convinced a _real_ wild human to be in her play.

"OH! Your just _wonderful!"_ Rain was (_in, Clemie reminded herself)_ a girl of about her age, which meant she'd been implanted as a baby. Or IN a baby….for a moment Clementine felt unreal, _wrong_, like this was one of her messed up dreams. She wondered if being in a baby made Rain more of less a murderer but hurriedly pushed the thought away. Thinking like that would get her killed.

"What?" They were back stage waiting for the next act to begin- Rain was dressed in a jogging suit. She reached out to rest a hand on Clemie's arm, face concerned.

"Please…" Clemie gritted her teeth, mouth curling and Rain took her hand away quickly, mouthing '_sorry_' and looking at her pityingly.

"What's wrong?"  
"Nothing." Clemie shook her head, "Just hard to believe I'm…I'm…"  
"Such a good actress?" Rain asked brightly.

Living with Skin-walkers…Still alive…going to school… "Yeah." She nodded.

"One minuet!" Petals walked over, looking balefully at them from under his cap, which had LED's in the brim so he could read from his clipboard.

Clemie was convinced that he only used a clipboard to make himself look important; scowling at him she received a scowl right back. Though he had come here with Rain and Roots _he_ had ended up getting misplaced in a warehouse and was a couple of years younger. He was also going to become a Seeker as soon as his zits cleaned up. He was already working on being a dick…he'd almost perfected it, she thought.

"Oh make a Nice Face!" Rain reached out and grabbed his cheek, pinching it with affection.

"Get off!" he scowled even more, went red and stomped away trying to look important.

Rain giggled, and Clemie did too.

…

The curtain came down on the second round of applause, Clemie was amazed at how buzzed she felt. Like she'd been running, but without the deathly fear.

Rain was grinning so wide her teeth look showed, eyes shining. Clemie was amazed to find herself with the same silly grin as the other players.

"We did it!" Rain gathered her up in a hug, crushing her close. She'd always been very 'touchy', Roots had said she'd been like that as a Flower, though Clemie had no idea how plants could touch each other.

"We couldn't have done it without you!" She whispered in Clemie's ear and the human felt herself relax into the hug as the urge to fight died. Rain felt the change and smiled, looking smug and refusing to let go.

"You See…you DO like being hugged!" She said happily, grabbing hold of Petals and hugging him too. He seamed to enjoy it much more, though Clemie suspected that his enjoyment was more…hormonal…then hers.

"Party tonight!" Rain announced, an arm around each of their shoulders.

…..

Clemie felt bad, very bad. This was like that time she'd eaten choke berries, only she wasn't puking anymore- she'd done all of that at Rains house. She vaguely remembered vomiting…frowning at the memory of a _golden toilet bowl_. She shook her head as she waved unsteadily to the taxi driver and headed into the apartment building, taking the steps to clear her head. Reaching her door she pushed it open, she thought suddenly of how dad had told her that in the old days everyone had a key that opened only their own door. Weird idea…she staggered into the house and made it as far as the sofa before collapsing and falling asleep.

She woke up feeling…well, not as bad as she'd thought she would but not wonderful either. There were the sounds of cooking in the kitchen, plates being set and the skillet on the stove…something greesy and hot smelled sooo good right now. She rose unsteadily to her feet, wondering why she was on the sofa and headed into the kitchen.

Ellen was in her robe, humming a happy tune as she scooped bacon and eggs onto two plates, coffee and juice were already on the table.

"Perfect timing mom!" Clementine said as Ellen turned, mouth dropping open.

"I…thought you…when you didn't come home…Rains house."  
"I'd have had to share a bed…she's got two sisters and a _creepy _little brother." Her eyes narrowed at the way the baby had stared at her.

"Smells great!" Ralph, also wearing a robe…wearing _her_ robe Clemie realized with a flash of anger…walked in. His mouth also dropped open when he saw her.

Silence.

"Fetch me another plate from the cupboard Ralph!" Ellen said brightly, smiling so tightly her face looked like it was shrink fitted to her skull, "Lucky I made plenty!" She laughed. She was the only one who did.

Clementine stared hard at them both.

They sat, moving food around their plate's but only Ralph ate anything, when he was finished he looked at the two women, "I…Uhm…should be…unless…?"  
"Uhh…no," Ellen shook her head, "I…have, Uhh, things to do…."  
"I…I'll…"  
"Call later OK?" Ellen started to gather the plates, "Maybe come round tonight?"  
Clemie make a sound that was a cross between snorting and choking.

"Yes!" He nodded as Ellen returned to the table, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.

"See you later then, Ralph."

He rose, a certain amount of spring in his step, which was only slightly damped when Clemie called after him, "Yeah Ralph….we'll see you later."

…

"And then he said he'd be back tonight!" Clementine couldn't believe she was pouring her personal issues out to a worm. Even for a Worm Rain was sickeningly _nice_…she was in training to be a Comforter.

"That's kind of nice." She said, "I mean, your mom's been alone for a long time…I always thought she looked lonely when I was in her lectures. Plus she still has some childbearing years left...shame to waste those egg's."  
"ICK!" Clementine shuddered, "Your not helping!"

They were in Rains room, which was filled with stuffed toys of every kind. A tribe of them lived on the computer desk, where Clemie sat. Others, too numerous for the shelves, were strewn over the bed where Rain reclined.

"What are you so upset about?" She asked, "I met Ralph when he was…was…"  
"Stalking me around the Campus?" Growled Clementine, "Looking for an excuse to set this…this _Thing_ off!" She held up her hand, exposing the bracelet of doom.

"I'm sure he is just doing what he thinks is best." Rain pointed out.

"What he thinks is best is for _me to be dead!"_ Clemie hissed the last two words, trying not to cry.

"Oh…Well." Rain frowned, "That's not a good starting point for s relationship."

"Change the subject." Clementine snapped, "Its bad enough living with the Sword of Damocles over my head."

"Who's Damocles?"  
"Old story…a guy hung his sword over the dinner table on a thread while everyone ate."  
Rains eyes wrinkled, "Why?"  
"To scare them…to make them see they could die at any moment." Clemie shrugged, "My dad told me that story."

"Humans are weird." Rain looked at her oddly, "Your not going to do that are you?" she made a motion vaguely indicative of hanging something up high above them.  
"Shut up." Clementine rolled her eyes.

"Hey- here's something!" Rain grinned, "Last night someone puked in Petal's Tuba!" 

…..…..

Ralph sat in his office reading the report, turning pages with one hand and sipping coffee with the other. The door to his office stood half open.

"Working hard?" he jerked, spilling coffee on his desk, "Sorry!" The speaker stepped into the room, pulling a handkerchief from her slacks pocket and helping him mop up the mess on his desk.

"I'm Sorry!" She was a woman in her late 40's, handsome rather then pretty, "Didn't realize you were still jumpy!"

"Just Caffeineated, Kelly." He smiled, as she sat on the desk surface to chat, "Missing me in LA?"

"Just catching up on meetings…overnight Shuttle…" she sighed, "One day we'll have the whole system organized so the reports will be where they're meant to be…."  
"Sure…" Ralph agreed sagely, "The day AFTER we eliminate the last wild human and pack up the office."

"You think we'll EVER do that?" Kelly asked.

"Its our Calling." Any other possibility had never occurred to Ralph, "making the world a better, safer, place."  
"That's true." She agreed, "So how are you liking your new post?"

"It is very comfortable."  
"Yes…" She looked at the two cardboard boxes piled on the spare chair, "Tell me you've unpacked at your new apartment….please?"

"Uhh…" He reddened, "Well, I _have_ been busy."

"You got all the records you requested?"  
"Yes." He nodded, rubbing his eyes, "Though I am becoming to regret taking on this task…"  
"How many you have on the books now?"

"Sixty seven…in the America's. I have asked a college to co-ordinate Europe and Africa."

"Sixty seven…" She whistled, "That's a lot of tame humans."

"Semi-tame." Ralph scowled, "The security devices will prove useful as they grow larger."  
"Sure will- your partner came up with those didn't she?"  
"Ellen is not my partner." Ralph scowled morosely.

"Oh…well, I guess I'll have to keep an eye on you then…" She winked, laughing as he reddened, "Joking…" She patted his arm and then brushed a strand of blond hair out of her face.

"How goes it tracking Leo?" Ralph knew that thoughts of revenge were un-Soul like but he had to confesses (even if only to himself) that the thought of Leo being captured was gratifying.

"He's dropped off the map." Kelly threw up her hands, "probably licking his wounds- we'll get him one day."

"One day." Ralph agreed.

…..

_Clementine was in the cave, the old cave which she'd grown up, only now it had a desk in it. She watched herself, as you sometimes do in dreams, from outside. The Clemie at the desk was reading reports, turning pages with a concerned expression-lips pursed tight as she reached for a cup of tea in a pink _Hello Kitty_ mug._

_The was a handgun on the table, she knew that it was a Glock, Glock 17 which she had always liked…except that made no sense because some part of her brain told her that she had never had such a gun. She'd had a Walther pistol she'd taken from a Seeker, and once a Browning, never a Glock._

_The Other Clemie didn't _move_ right either and she felt a growing sense of _wrongness_ that made her feel sick. The Other Clemie suddenly looked up, eyes highlighted by the ugly desk lamp flashing Silver as they _looked_ at her._

"_I'm your mom…" _

Jerking awake suddenly Clementine screamed, thrashing about with her arms and breathing rapidly.

"Uhh…Clemie! Are you OK Clemie?" Rain had dozed off too, half buried under animals she had been snoring slightly.

"Yeah…Uhh, Oh, that was weird..." Clementine shivered, looking around the room at the creepy cat-with-a swinging-tail clock, "How long was I asleep?"

"'Bout twenty minuets…What?"  
"Bad dream…." She shuddered.

"Yeah…nasty!" Rain made a face, "I had them for a whole month once-" before she could go on she was interrupted by the door to her room opening, Rains Mother, who looked much like an older, short haired version of Rain poked her heads in.

"Is everything OK? I heard a noise…"  
"Clemie had a bad dream." Rain explained, her mom made sympathetic noises in her throat though she eyed the girl warily. She was always polite, kind even, but it was clear-at least to Clemie- that the woman didn't like her very much.

"Is she going to stay the night? I can get some blankets…or I can run her home in the car." She obviously preferred the latter option.

"I'll walk." Clemie said- she could use the exercise and getting outside sounded pretty good to her right now.

"If you're sure…tell me if you want a ride."  
"Thanks Jane." She nodded as the other woman closed the door.

"You're going to _walk_?" Rain asked, Souls were-in Clemie's opinion-very lazy about physical exercise.

"Your mom doesn't like me." She changed the subject.

"Oh…she's just being a mom, you know how they worry."  
"She's not _really_ your mom, though, is she?"

"What a perfectly horrible thing to say!" Rain looked shocked, so Clemie backpedaled desperately.

"I…Uhm, I mean, she's a Wo- a Soul…"  
"She grew my Host in her body, Clemie. She fed me milk when I a baby like Charles…of CORSE she's my mother."

"But your from the Flowers, she didn't hatch you out of an egg or something…."  
Rain giggled, "You really don't know much about us, do you?"

"So tell me." Feeling defensive Clemie locked her face into an unmoving mask.

"In our Species a Mother gives herself for her Children…she _dies_ to give them life. That's why Mothers are so special among us. They give everything for the next generation, it's a sacred thing."  
"Oh." That explained how she was in her current situation, alive, "Will that happen to you?"  
"Oh no!" Rain giggled, looking embarrassed or maybe just shy, "I could never do that- even if I were able-I'd be way too scared!"  
"You don't all do it?"  
"Oh no…that's why it's so special."

"Got to go." Clemie wondered why her father had never bothered to find this simple fact out about them. Rising she let herself out of the quiet house and began to walk in the crisp clean night air, looking up at the stars. It was a lovely clear night.

….

When she got home her mom and Ralph were nowhere to been seen. She could, however, _hear_ them in the bedroom talking softly.

Scowling she banged her door on her way to bed, falling into a deep dreamless sleep until the morning.

"What?" She jerked suddenly awake, Ralph was standing at the foot of her bed, "Uhh….That's _creepy, _even for you." Spying on her in bed...at least she was wearing pajama's.

"Put your hands on your head." He had his gun out, hammer cocked, and she knew that he would just love to put a round between her eyes.

"What?" She blinked; her mom was standing beside Ralph weeping, "Oh…" She sneered, "So you decided three in the house was too much, mom? Decided you don't want to be my mom anymore now you've got Ralph?"  
"Don't speak to her like that." Ralph hissed, "I _know_…I _know_ what she did for you." Ellen gasped softly amid her tears, "You don't even…." He shook his head, "Hands on your head, then get out of bed and kneel….face away from me."

She obeyed, mute as he cuffed her hands behind her back.  
"Why Clemie?" Ellen sobbed, "Was it me? Was it because of Ralph?"  
"What are you talking about?" She wasn't sure what was going on, but she was alert to the rough feel of the muzzle against her ribs as she was pulled to her feet.

"Why…why Rain? She was such a nice girl….and the _baby_…" Ellen crumpled to the floor, tears streaming, "Just a _baby Clemie!_ How _Could _you?_"_

Ralph's attention was on Ellen for just a moment. Deceiving that she was dead either way Clementine acted, twisting her body away from his sidearm she shove him roughly, making him stagger for a second. She lashed out with her feet, catching his shin on the first and his knee on the second kick. AS he fell she jumped up, belting her other foot into his ribs full force. She kicked his pistol away and rolled backwards, thankful that she hadn't gained too much weight living in civilization. She leaned backwards, slipping her cuffed wrists under her own backside and down her legs. When her hands were in front of her she threw her legs up and then down to swing herself upright. She gave Ralph another two satisfying kicks to the ribs, and one more in the crotch before looking over at her mom who was watching with an 'O' of horror on her lips.

Clemie fumbled through his pockets, finding the keys in his outside jacket pocket, undoing the cuff's she pulled his hands behind him, snapping the cuffs and frisking him rapidly.

30 seconds from standing up…her dad would be proud. She tossed his phone.

"Hey Ralph…Good morning." Rolling him over she was amazed at how she felt; she should feel fear, terror even. Instead she felt…good. The world was sane again.

She began methodically breaking Ralph's ribs.

"Clemie! Please!" Ellen said, "Please don't!"  
"OK." She paused to think, "Uhh…what the hells going on?"  
"Rain…you murdered Rain and her family." Ellen started crying again, "Ralph _said_ you were Evil...but I couldn't believe it until now..."

"Rain's dead?" Clementine's eyes widened, she felt a flash of….of something, an emotion too unfamiliar to name, "When? How? I was just with her….last night."  
There was a buzzing sound in the corner where she'd thrown his phone.

"That's the Seeker Station." Ralph smirked pretty triumphantly for someone about to cough up his own testicles, "If I don't call back in three minuets they'll activate your device."

She looked at him, wondering how much pain she could inflict in a three minuet period.

He was a jerk, a sneak, and A Seeker but she didn't want to spend any time-let alone the last three minuets of her life- with him.

The phone buzzed again.


	7. Chapter 7

`Spirit

Clemie watched the phone buzz, vibrating against the floor loudly.

_Three minutes…_Her father had told her about the old days when the world had been on a ten minuet warning for nuclear annihilation. What did you do with the last ten minuets of your life? Or in her case, three?  
_Clocks ticking_…she gulped, jumping to her feet and heading to the bathroom with mom trailing her like some kind of wailing banshee and babbling on about some crap or other…how many seconds wasted?  
She fumbled with the doorknob, wasting a few precious seconds then charging in and dropped to her knees, fumbling under the sink with desperate fingers. _Gone_….NO! She was dead…dead…where? She stood up, looking at the medicine cabinet and yanking it open a second later.

_There! _Three metal cylinders. She guessed that Mom had found them and put them in the cabinet. Taking them she headed to the kitchen, throwing the cylinders into the sink…there was a tinkle and sound of pill's scattering as one cylinder broke open, spilling its contents.

Clementine swore, looking at the precious tablets, _don't stop_, a voice in her head told her. How many seconds gone?  
She yanked open the cutlery draw, tossing knives carelessly aside…her mom was still blathering on through tears but Clementine wasn't even hearing her anymore. _There_, she plugged the electric knife into the wall…she had a sudden flash of vivid memory, when she'd brought it from the store her mom had asked what she was planning to carve with it.

She switched it on, watching the blades move rapidly and for a moment she felt like puking.

_Don't stop, don't think…_If she stopped to think then she wouldn't do it.

She grabbed up a handful of the _No Pain, _shoving them into her mouth and letting them dissolve. She grabbed up a few more stray ones, wondering how many had gone down the drain, and then she twisted the top off the other cylinder and set it beside the knife.

She didn't move…_do it. _

She stared…_do it NOW or you'll die!_

That got a reaction; she turned on the knife closing her eyes as she brought it into contact with her left hand. Something warm and sticky hit her face and she retched, gulping down bile.

_Not pain, _she told herself, it was more like pushing, or pulling. It was _not_ pleasant but it didn't hurt.

The knife chattered, jarring as it hit bone. She dropped it, opening her eyes and swooning at her thumb, half sliced off. She fumbled for the small knife, cutting right around the joint and twisting the thumb off.

Dropping the thumb into the sink she slid the now slippery bracelet off her wrist and closed the wound with _Heal _and _Clean._

"I didn't kill anyone…lately." She added, swaying slightly as she turned to face Ellen, "I didn't _do _it! Mom…"

Ellen just stared at her, wordless now.

"Mom…?" Clementine wanted to say something to make things OK, but she didn't know what she _could_ say and Ralph chose that moment to stagger into the room, taking unsteady aim.

Clemie rolled forwards, not even thinking about it until afterwards. Later she would be impressed with herself, but right now she was busy pushing past Ralph and heading into the hall way. Flinging open the door Clementine ran down the stairs and out into the street.

She had a bag of clothes two blocks away, wrapped in trash sacks and wedged into a hollow tree…if she could keep from passing out until then she'd do fine.

Maybe.

….

Ralph was grateful for the _No Pain_, without it he wouldn't be able to walk, let alone drive. Flipped his phone open, snapping "_Kelly!"_ at it.

There was a series of DTMF tones and a moment later the familiar voice came through, "Ralph?"

"Where's your last sighting of Leo?"

"Canada…he killed…Uhh…a gas station attendant, two months ago."

"Clementine has escaped."  
"That's not good."  
"I know." He scowled, suppressing the urge to yell the words at her.

"I have a team about two hours from you….Specialists."

"That might be necessary."

….

Clementine let herself into the back door. It wasn't locked, of course…Souls never locked doors.

She walked softly, not daring to turn on the lights she peered at the kitchen lit by the dim light of the street lamp outside.

She walked slowly up the stairs, finding the first pool of blood when her sneakers squelched in it…a tape line was around a figure that must have been Rains Mom. Clemie looked at the walls and ran her fingers over it feeling for blood. Not very much on the wall, she wondered what they had used…not a gun she guessed.

Her eyes lingered on the outline then she shrugged, mentally as well as physically. Just another murdering Worm.

_Why are you here?_

She ignored the voice of sensibility. Instead she moved on, walking into Rains room and looking at the blood soaked floor. She blinked back angry tears at the sight of the stuffed animals, Rain had murdered her Host too, just like all the rest of them had.

_I don't care…she was just another murdering Worm._ She told herself that, but she didn't believe it.

There was blood on the floor, but not a bodies worth.

She could see the track of blood leading to the door….then a few spots on the door. No outline marked where she'd fallen…Clemie dared to use her flashlight to follow the blood splatter on the wall, back out into the hall and followed it down the hall and back down the stairs…it ended at the back door.

She didn't dare go back outside, instead turning the flashlight off and heading back upstairs feeling her way with no night vision.

Rain hadn't had a dad-either he'd not bonded to her mom or he'd died before she was born. Clemie never asked.

She went into the nursery, turning her flashlight on and shivering with an unfamiliar feeling…she shivered, feeling a little sick. Stupid really, it wasn't like death was anything new to her but somehow knowing them made it…different.

There was a sound, she wasn't sure what it was but relaxes born of a life where she and her father had latterly the whole world against them had the light out again as she flattened to the wall. There was no sound, no creak of floorboards, no rustle of cloth.

Clementine's hand reached inside her windbreaker, clenching the soft rubber handle of the pairing knife in reverse grip. No sound, nothing at all but she waited without moving for twenty minuets then walked silently into the hallway.

There was a buzzing that made her jump from the doorway and into the wall with fright, knife flashing wildly.

Her eyes franticly searched, locating the source of the sound. Gingerly she walked up to the crib, looking at the bloodstained mattress in the crib. Reaching into the little wooden cage she lifted the mattress up and picked up the phone, looking at the display.

NUMBER WITHHELD.

She pressed the screen, lifting the device to her ear.

"Hi Clementine."

"Who is this?"  
"Can't you guess?" The voice was male, but had a deep, sibilant over tone that made it impossible to identify. It gave her the shivers.

"A friend."

"Yeah…." She looked around the room, moving to the window to peer into the darkness

"Hi friend….I...Uhh, guess you did this?"  
"Do you like it?" The voice actually sounded hopeful, like he wanted her approval.

"Like what?"

"The blood splatter on the ceiling is my favorite….its for you."

She looked up, there was a big dark splotch near the light above her head, it looked like someone had tried to write a C and part of an L but couldn't reach high enough to do it properly and given up.

"Uhh…were you writing my name?"  
"Of course!" the voice snapped, and she could tell it was hurt, or at least irritated, that she wasn't more impressed. Honestly, she'd done more gruesome things herself to get a hot meal.

"Why?" She shook herself, heading for the door and into the hallway, taking the steps two at a time and heading for the back door.

"Because you're my idol, Clementine. You're my shield…" Icky, just the way he said _Clementine_ made her want a shower.

"That's nice." She said breathlessly as she rolled over the back fence and jogged to the car- a small black VW bug she'd taken from outside the home of a little old lady whom she knew never drove it and spent most of ever day drunk as a skunk watching whatever crap the worms liked to watch on TV.

"What are you doing?"  
"Waiting for you to tell me what you want."  
"What makes you think I want something?"

"You wouldn't be talking to me unless you want something." She opened the car door, sliding into the seat and on reflex tossing the phone as far as she could, regretting the move a moment later. Her father had told her phones were death in your pocket when the Seekers had your number.

"I want you." The words made her jerk forwards, but too late to avoid the hard pointy object that touched the side of her neck.

The world went white. Then it went black.

…

"Hello."

Clementine wondered if she was dead again… no, her neck hurt too much for that.

"Hello" The voice was more insistent now, irritated that she wasn't paying attention.

"Uhh…." She groaned groggily lifting her head- which she now realized hung forwards across her shoulder, "Wh…?"

This didn't look good; she was tied with her hands behind her back to a swivel chair with what felt like cable ties. She wasn't sure where she was, but it looked like an old warehouse or something.

"Good! Your awake…" the voice purred, "I want you to be awake for this…" The voice tried to sound deep and menacing, but without electronic to aid it just sounded somewhat creaky and changed tone.

"Petals!" She gawked, blinking, "You… You're the…"  
"Evil master mind… yes." he sneered proudly, reddening when she burst out laughing.

"What you think is so funny?" He scowled.

"Oh… I'm sorry…" she rocked back and forth on the chair, "Its just that…well… you've got to admit your kind of _dorky _to be an evil master mind."

"I didn't see Rain's family laughing when I spilled their essence with the _tool_." He held up a pairing knife. It bore marks that told her he had absolutely no idea how to sharpen a knife but made up for the lack with enthusiasm.

Clementine howled with laughter, "Spilled their essence…" she chuckled, rolling her eyes, "Spilled YOUR essence more like it! Souls really suck at this stuff, you know that don't you?"

He went even redder, making his zits stand out in the dim light of the camping lantern on the floor beside his chair that gave them light.

"I am no longer a Soul!" he declared, waving the pairing knife under her nose, "I am a _Spirit_- one of the Elect! I am above the _Soul_" His mouth twisted into an arrogant sneer, "I spill their ess-er…I kill them like the cattle they are! Their pathetic lives are mine to do with as I please! I crush them in my hands! I bring fear into their hearts! I…"  
She yawned loudly, making him stamp his foot angrily, "You don't understand, Clementine! You just don't get it, do you? When I am done… playing with you I will kill you. They will NEVER find you… and I'll mark your name every time I….strike…." he licked his lips suggestively, "Don't you realize that? They will be looking for YOU and not me…."  
"YOU don't realize that my father is going to spend three days experimenting on ways to extract you from your host. Then he'll cut kill your host so slowly that maybe your'll do that thing you guys do…the mushy brain thing…. then he'll eat you…its gross but its his thing…Says you taste just like chicken." She made slurping sounds, smacking her lips.

Petals started at her, blinking with horror as she looked over his shoulder, "Hi dad!"

The insane Soul turned, jumping out of his chair and spinning to face the imagined threat, knife swinging. He gave a grunt as she rocket into the small of his back with her shoulder, staggering forwards as she swung her backside, and the base of the chair she was still fastened to, into his legs. He staggered, turning to face her as she lashed out with her legs, kicking the lantern over and putting the light out. He gave a cry of alarm as the room went dark.

A long moment later she knelt over him, wiping his own knife on his T-shirt. The wound on his thigh was not leathal- he'd pulped his hosts brain the moment that he saw she was going to win.

"You guys SUCK at violence… don't you get that yet?" She spat into his face, disgusted that she hadn't even got to kill him herself, "That's for Rain, by the way."

She rose, listening to the sounds around her and wondering how she was going to get out of wherever she was. Bending she fumbled through Petal's pockets, finding a phone, some keys, a bag of some leafy plant material and a box of matches. Keys…weird.

She struck one and looked around the would-be evil master mind's lair…. Dropping the match she listened… hearing a sound like a high pitched whine she struck another and moved towards the source.

Rain was fastened to a block in the center of the room, the keys opened her shackles but she wasn't able to say much.

"You think you can count to a hundred before you call for help?" Clementine asked her, getting nothing very coherent in return.

"You think you can find your way out of here?"

Rain's eyes rolled about in the dim light from the match, Clemie dropped it when it burnt her fingers.

"OK…." Clementine nodded, "Its… OK. I'll get help."

Taking a deep breath she let it out slowly, "Cant believe…." She touched the screen of the phone, bringing the display to life and slowly entering 911.


End file.
